What You'll Do

  • Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
  • Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
  • Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
  • Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
  • Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
  • Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.
  • Provide technical support and services for scientists and engineers working in fields such as agriculture, environmental science, resource management, biology, and health sciences.
  • Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas.
  • Participate in the research, development, or manufacturing of medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations.
  • Conduct standardized biological, microbiological or biochemical tests and laboratory analyses to evaluate the quantity or quality of physical or chemical substances in food or other products.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Active Listening 3.88/5
Science 3.75/5
Critical Thinking 3.75/5
Writing 3.5/5
Active Learning 3.5/5
Speaking 3.38/5
Monitoring 3.38/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.12/5
Mathematics 3.0/5
Coordination 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Intellectual Curiosity, Integrity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.0/5
Information Ordering 4.0/5
Near Vision 4.0/5
Oral Expression 3.88/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Written Comprehension 3.75/5
Written Expression 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

BD Biosciences CellQuest BoxShade ClustalW Gene Codes Sequencher Gene Runner Laboratory information management system LIMS Phrap Phred PolyBayes Primer3 SAS Statistical software Systat Software SigmaPlot Systat Software TableCurve Database software Microsoft Access Thomson EndNote Microsoft .NET Framework Adobe Acrobat ESRI ArcGIS software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.83/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.71/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.4/5)
  • Intellectual Curiosity (High importance: 4.29/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.26/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

Take Free 15-Min Assessment →

How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Aquatic Technician (Aquatic Tech) Aquatics Technician (Aquatics Tech) Artificial Breeding Lab Tech (Artificial Breeding Laboratory Technician) Artificial Breeding Technician (Artificial Breeding Tech) Artificial Inseminator Babcock Tester Bacteriology Research Assistant Bacteriology Technician (Bacteriology Tech) Biochemistry Technician (Biochemistry Tech) Biological Aide Biological Field Technician (Biological Field Tech) Biological Research Technician (Biological Research Tech) Biological Science Aide Biological Science Lab Tech (Biological Science Laboratory Technician) Biological Science Technician (Biological Science Tech) Biologist Aide Biologist Technician (Biologist Tech) Biology Laboratory Assistant (Biology Lab Assistant) Biology Research Assistant Biology Specimen Technician (Biology Specimen Tech) Bioprocess Associate Biotechnician Biotechnologist Botany Laboratory Assistant Culture Media Laboratory Assistant Downstream Biomanufacturing Technician (Downstream Biomanufacturing Tech) Downstream Technician (Downstream Tech) Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech) Extraction Technician (Extraction Tech) Fiber Technologist Fisheries Biological Technician (Fisheries Biological Tech) Fowl Blood Tester Herbarium Worker Marine Fisheries Technician (Marine Fisheries Tech) Medical Research Assistant Microbiology Lab Tech (Microbiology Laboratory Technician) Microbiology QC Tech (Microbiology Quality Control Technician) Microbiology Technician (Microbiology Tech) Microbiology Technologist Research Assistant Research Associate Specimen Technician (Specimen Tech) Upstream Biomanufacturing Technician

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.