Microbiologists study microorganisms with the intention of understanding how they might affect us and the environment to attempt to find ways of bettering our lives. 

You’ll focus on studying microorganisms at a cellular or molecular level, which includes viruses, fungi and bacteria. As you can imagine, most microbiologists work at hospitals and laboratory-based settings. But don’t worry if that doesn’t sound perfect for you, you can also work in education or even agriculture.  

There are different types of microbiologists, so depending on the area of specialisation you decide to work in, your career route will differ. Some of these areas will be in medicine, environments, research and development and healthcare.  

On a day-to-day basis, you’ll be identifying microorganisms, collecting samples and generally going over relevant research. Clinical microbiologists have starting salaries of £32,306 and working for one of the biggest employers, the NHS, you can earn salaries up to £108,075. 

ULTIMATE EARNING POTENTIAL

TOP 10 EMPLOYERS

1. NHS  
2. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) 
3. Shellworks 
4. NHS Trust 
5. Quorn Foods 
6. Globe Locums 
7. Your World Healthcare 
8. Ethypharm Group 
9. Medacs Healthcare 
10. CK Science