Think Outside the Bio-Box

By H. Steven Wiley Think Outside the Bio-Box We like to complain, but it’s a great time to be a biologist—as long as you don’t just think about academia. The idea that having a position at a research university is the best job possible is specious. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal listed the best jobs in America, based on their associated work environment, income, hiring outlook, physical demands, and stress factors. Biologist w

Written byH. Steven Wiley
| 3 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
3:00
Share

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal listed the best jobs in America, based on their associated work environment, income, hiring outlook, physical demands, and stress factors. Biologist was ranked as the fourth best job, right behind computer systems analyst and software engineer. The main reasons for the high ranking for biologists? Mostly low job stress, good income and excellent hiring outlook.

Opinion: Encourage alternatives

Opinion: Encourage alternatives II

Best Places to Work Industry 2010

Of course, after listening to my friends for many years (and reading numerous online comments in The Scientist), I was surprised that being a biologist was considered a low-stress job with a bright future. Grousing about our jobs has always been a favorite pastime for biologists, but I suspect that in our hearts, we know how good we really have it. Even though research funding is tight and faculty positions are scarce, biologists still ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
Image of a woman with her hands across her stomach. She has a look of discomfort on her face. There is a blown up image of her stomach next to her and it has colorful butterflies and gut bacteria all swarming within the gut.
November 2025, Issue 1

Why Do We Feel Butterflies in the Stomach?

These fluttering sensations are the brain’s reaction to certain emotions, which can be amplified or soothed by the gut’s own “bugs".

View this Issue
Olga Anczukow and Ryan Englander discuss how transcriptome splicing affects immune system function in lung cancer.

Long-Read RNA Sequencing Reveals a Regulatory Role for Splicing in Immunotherapy Responses

Pacific Biosciences logo
Research Roundtable: The Evolving World of Spatial Biology

Research Roundtable: The Evolving World of Spatial Biology

Conceptual cartoon image of gene editing technology

Exploring the State of the Art in Gene Editing Techniques

Bio-Rad
Conceptual image of a doctor holding a brain puzzle, representing Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.

Simplifying Early Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis with Blood Testing

fujirebio logo

Products

Eppendorf Logo

Research on rewiring neural circuit in fruit flies wins 2025 Eppendorf & Science Prize

Evident Logo

EVIDENT's New FLUOVIEW FV5000 Redefines the Boundaries of Confocal and Multiphoton Imaging

Evident Logo

EVIDENT Launches Sixth Annual Image of the Year Contest

10x Genomics Logo

10x Genomics Launches the Next Generation of Chromium Flex to Empower Scientists to Massively Scale Single Cell Research