Home » Occupational Profiles » 21110 – Biologists and related scientists

Biologists and related scientists – 21110

Description

Biologists and related scientists conduct basic and applied research to extend knowledge of living organisms, to manage natural resources, and to develop new practices and products related to medicine and agriculture. They are employed in both laboratory and field settings by governments, environmental consulting companies, resource and utilities companies, chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnical companies, hospitals and health, research and educational institutions.

Job Titles

  • Biologist
  • Botanist
  • Ecologist
  • Marine biologist
  • Mycologist
  • Zoologist

Main Duties

  • Plan and conduct studies of the environment, and of the population, distribution, structure and functional characteristics and behaviour of plants and animals
  • Conduct ecological and environmental impact studies and prepare reports
  • Study, identify and classify plant and animal specimens
  • Conduct experiments in plant or animal growth, heredity and breeding
  • Prepare reports and plans for management of renewable resources
  • May supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.

Workplaces

  • Chemical companies
  • Environmental consulting firms
  • Governments
  • Health and educational institutions
  • Pharmaceutical and biotechnical companies
  • Resource and utility companies

Skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Oral Communication: Oral Comprehension
  • Oral Communication: Oral Expression
  • Problem Solving
  • Reading Comprehension

Abilities

  • Categorization Flexibility
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Inductive Reasoning
  • Information Ordering
  • Memorizing

Personal Attributes

  • Active Learning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Adaptability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Collaboration

Similar Occupations

  • Architecture and science managers (20011)
  • Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100)
Source: OaSIS

Employment Outlook

The employment outlook will be good for Biologists and related scientists (21110) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

  • Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
  • A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
  • There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Here are some key facts about Biologists and related scientists in Prince Edward Island:

  • Approximately 200 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
  • Biologists and related scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
    • Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 34%
    • Food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (NAICS 311, 312): 18%
    • Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 12%
    • Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 11%
    • Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 8%
  • 84% of biologists and related scientists work all year, while 16% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
  • Less than 5% of biologists and related scientists are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
  • The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
    • Men: 56% compared to 51% for all occupations
    • Women: 44% compared to 49% for all occupations
  • The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
    • no high school diploma: n/a
    • high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
    • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
    • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: n/a
    • bachelor’s degree: 45% compared to 17% for all occupations
    • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 55% compared to 8% for all occupatio
Source: Job Bank

Prevailing Wages

AREALOWMEDIANHIGH
PEI$18.00$34.22$44.62
Canada$25.64$40.00$60.10
Source: Labour Force Survey (2022)

Training

There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.

View the full occupational profile with details on work characteristics, interests, employment requirements and more on the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS) website.

There are currently no job listings for this occupation on WorkPEI.

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