Hello

I don't know if I'm posting in the right Forum, but here's my question.

What is the average entry-level position for new hires straight out of college with a biology or chemistry degree? I was told between 35-45K; seems a bit low, but then again, I wouldn't know?

My second question, what positions do students try and obtain?? Like what titles do most new hires generally get into?

Thanks!!

11/8/2007 8:14:02 PM

in before the move

11/8/2007 8:27:19 PM

^

and that seems a bit high actually. I had a few friends with just chemistry majors and they thought 35k was good for entry level around here. Depends on where the job is as well. 35k in NY aint gonna be the same as 35k here. They also said usually one of those (bio or chem) by themselves wouldn't cut it and you'd do better with another minor or major to go with it. Or one of those as an engineering major.

11/8/2007 10:17:42 PM

you can make 35k in NY with no degree.

35-45k sounds about normal

11/8/2007 10:23:54 PM

in before the suspend

11/8/2007 10:59:01 PM

ibtg

11/9/2007 12:41:56 AM

thanks for the info....btw...what's up with this in before the move...suspend...ibtg....

this is a feedback forum right...i wasn't posting a position if that's what you all were thinking....

11/9/2007 12:49:27 AM

the Feedback Forum is for feedback and suggestions about how the site is run, not for anyone looking for feedback about anything.

For an academic and job-related question like this, you're probably better off asking in Study Hall or The Lounge. All the people making comments like "in before the move" are basically padding their post count by insulting you for not knowing the right forum to post in.

11/9/2007 6:05:53 AM

ibtl

11/9/2007 8:59:22 AM

Salary obviously depends on 2 things. 1. where you work and 2. who you work for.

I have graduate work too and started at 36K for the state of NC.

Generally private industry I may have gotten more, but 36 is quite good for someone with graduate work.

Obviously if you live in an area that has a higher cost of living than Raleigh, you will likely start higher but the ultimate net is likely going to be the same.

11/9/2007 3:17:43 PM

35K to 45K is pretty high right out of school (with no experience I assume). The postions are usually research tech, research assistant, a lot of jobs fall under the category of quality control. Chemistry pays slightly more than life science (maybe a $1000). probably more like 29K to 35K + benefits.

http://www.ncsu.edu/majors-careers/do_with_major_in/

[Edited on November 9, 2007 at 3:42 PM. Reason : .]

11/9/2007 3:39:41 PM

I teched for a few years at a WashU before I decided to leave and pursue my PhD.

I started at 23K. But this is the midwest, I don't know about other regions.

It is also academia not industry that could determine entry level salary. I know industry is higher, maybe starting at 30K here.

11/9/2007 7:09:54 PM

Of those I know graduating from the chem department here who got a job with a BS locally:

-One around 30k
-One around 40k


The one around 40k ending up working for the company they cooped with, though.

11/9/2007 7:47:24 PM

http://www.salary.com

11/9/2007 8:49:07 PM

lmao. 35-45.

If you dont have much experience..or even if you do... 35 would be doing very good for a biol. degree. you'll be lucky to get 30k tho around here, starting out. You'll probably have to work temp jobs for a while.

11/9/2007 9:50:03 PM

Life science pays pretty poorly for entry level. I started fresh out of school for 35k, and all my friends started at 30k. I got raise up to 38k after 8 months, but then I switched jobs to work for a startup I had a lot of faith in and took a hit back down to 35k so I could work for this company (I'm the only research associate making 35k, all the others started at 30k). As someone said, chemistry majors tend to make 1-3k extra.


I'm seen offers as low as $11/hr for some research tech positions. The market is flooded with new grads right now. We have several lab assistant positions where I'm at that only "require" a high school diploma, but we're getting college grad applicants, so we're hiring them for those. We just hired a girl from NCSU with no experience but a bachelors in Zoology for like 28k..

[Edited on November 9, 2007 at 10:20 PM. Reason : .]

11/9/2007 10:18:06 PM

^Exactly what he said. The biggest problem with the market around here is that people hear how great it is to live/work/raise a family and they come with more experience. Get the GxP experience, academic or lab experience.....etc. It will help land the job.

When I was at Lab Corp they usually offered 28K and paid 30K for a grad. HR says that for every 1 interview they have 15 resumes.....they usually interviewed around 4-6. Do the math. The treated people as if they weer disposable. I stayed with them 3 months.

11/10/2007 1:00:01 AM

you'd be best off trying to go to med school

11/10/2007 1:58:46 AM

Maybe some of you guys replying should look at the state job postings. State jobs don't even pay as well as corporate jobs in some cases:

Heres one for a chemist that pays between $32k and $50k with a minimum requirement of a 2 YEAR DEGREE.
http://osp.its.state.nc.us/positiondetail.asp?vacancykey=4431-0000-0023-086&printit=no

Heres another for a chemist that pays between $30k and $60K - FOUR Year degree req. And this one is pretty neat, a forensic chemist position in a crime lab!
http://osp.its.state.nc.us/positiondetail.asp?vacancykey=3613-0000-0002-027&printit=no


So, yea jobs exist... But make sure you take time to work in a lab for a semester or two on campus so that you know how to use some of this high $$ equipment, because thats what really lands you the job.

[Edited on November 10, 2007 at 9:34 AM. Reason : Add More]

11/10/2007 9:32:32 AM

Thank you all very much for your input. If there are any more information regarding these positions please post them.

After looking at a few jobs here and there, it is very disconcerting to see that degrees from college only get you just a little more than high school grads.

11/10/2007 10:22:46 AM

^^I've never had any luck with government jobs like that. I applied to several with about a year of solid experience with GLP, GMP, CLIA, etc and all sorts of relevant stuff and never even got a reply. Those are pay bands listed, and it takes quite awhile to move to the upper end of that range.

11/10/2007 12:33:31 PM

Quote :

"lmao. 35-45. If you dont have much experience..or even if you do... 35 would be doing very good for a biol. degree. you'll be lucky to get 30k tho around here, starting out. You'll probably have to work temp jobs for a while."

bingo

i would say 28-30k is average in this area with life science degree, or something similar like chemistry or biochem. just hang in there and after 3-5 years you will start seeing a big change in your pay.

[Edited on November 10, 2007 at 1:35 PM. Reason : asdf]

11/10/2007 1:34:07 PM

Also thought I'd throw out that larger companies pay better, but the experience is less noteworthy. I've got a friend who actually managed to start out at 42k with GSK, but she basically labels test tubes all day long.

11/11/2007 12:44:15 AM

I say 30k is at the upper end for the Charlotte area. All the research, quality control, etc positions average around $13-14 dollars/hr right off the start. As far as upward movement possibilities/potential, I don't know about those.

11/11/2007 8:35:01 AM

As others have said a typical starting salary for no experience is gonna be around the low 30's.. When I started out at Labcorp they start for a lab tech at 28k. However I stuck it out for 2 years in that hell hole to get experience and now work for a private company making much more. It is really all about getting that first experience and then you have more options with much better pay.

11/11/2007 11:06:34 AM

It just seems a little strange, I've had over 3 years experience in Lab working with MS, HPLC,GC, UV-VIS, SPECTRO.., ELISE, and MANY OTHERS....

And I've received 2 offers for less than 30K. Granted one was an internship, another was an analytical job...but still both are 1yr full time committment.

It seems as though experience doesn't really matter in entry levels... I guess because companies automatically think you have no experience.

If you have more information...it is greatly appreciated.!!!

11/11/2007 3:58:44 PM

$28-35k

I had a lot of internship experience going in and started at $30 and got two raises that got me to $35 in the first 12 months, so I felt pretty good about it.

Nobody remembers to tell you how broke you're going to be when you major in science.

You really have to have a passion for it because not only will you not get paid well, it's boring as hell.

Oh and there is no upward potential AT ALL if you have a BS and it's really limited with a MS, you're looking at a PhD if you ever want to be in charge of anything and that means even more years of being flat broke.

[Edited on November 11, 2007 at 5:04 PM. Reason : That starting salary was in 2001]

11/11/2007 4:59:34 PM

my wife started out with a BS in Biology. she didnt get anything more than $15.00/hr working temp jobs at places like Bayer and whatnot.

then she tried "validation" for Clinical Research studies.... it's basically doing a shitload of paperwork and quality control and data entry for drug studies. theres a ton of those positions in RTP area.a Quintiles was one of them. i forget the others.

the pay was little more, and had potential to move up into managerial roles, if she stuck around.

but she hated the work, hated the business/corporate environment, and wound up going back for a BSN (Nursing) best thing she's ever done. good money, professional license, guaranteed work forever, and a wide range of work environments and opportunities. now she does actual clinical research at a hospital.

11/11/2007 5:25:32 PM

UNC hires a lot of research techs. I started out at 31K with 1 years experience, that went up a little with the state employee raise this year.

I applied for several postions through the department of justice/sbi. that was june/july of 2006, I just recently got a letter from them saying that one the positions has been filled.

11/11/2007 7:12:45 PM

Quote :

"Nobody remembers to tell you how broke you're going to be when you major in science. "

Thats the damn truth.

11/12/2007 9:10:01 AM

I have come to realize this is how things are as well. My base pay is mid 30's, up to low 40's with some overtime/bonus/401k, but I work 3rd shift. I'm a Chemist for Hospira in Rocky Mount & if anyone needs a job, graduated or not in Chem or Bio, they have positions open. I drive from Garner as well, so even if you live in Raleigh, we can carpool.

11/12/2007 10:52:03 AM

^^ its just because the job market is flooded with science majors, thus diluting the competition for jobs, making you easily 'replaceable'.

11/12/2007 5:22:38 PM

my stepdad is a biomedical technician and he started off at like 25k and now makes low 6 figures...he told me u just gotta start off shitty and build up

11/12/2007 5:28:10 PM

about 5 years into thats when its really kicks in. i am 2.5 years into it and man i can tell you that my salary is NOTHING like it was at first.

11/12/2007 5:31:36 PM

biomedical technician

that's VERY different than research

11/12/2007 5:44:56 PM

I agree, technician and research are two totally separate fields and with differing salary ranges.

Keep the information coming.

11/12/2007 7:10:25 PM

not to self: never get involved in the sciences

11/13/2007 3:41:09 AM