notMichaelJackson

Could I obtain a decent job in the science field with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology? Note that I do not want to teach in an elementary or high school.

Shadowy Man

It probably depends on what you consider a "decent" job.

Wounded King

How good was your degree? With a 2:1 or equivalent, possibly less, you could get into a post-graduate program, which would be the way forward if you wanted an academic career in science. The only problem is that most post-graduate study is not exactly what you would call remunerative.

Some people get positions as laboratory techs or RA's and manage to gain a PhD or similar qualification as a by product of their work, it takes a little longer but has the advantage of paying something.

architect

A decent job, maybe. But it would be a dead end job with little room for advancement. You can not advance in the sciences without a PhD or an MD.

If you are not sure about this chosen field, then by all means, get your undergrad degree and work for a year or two. Then enter a PhD program. Eventhough a PhD program is 5 years long, most of the class work happens in the first 2 years. The last 3 are more self directed research projects culminating in your thesis dissertation research project.

Roland98

I have to disagree. I have friends who've worked in industry, entering with only a B.A. or B.S., and they've moved up through the ranks. They make decent money and the one is looking at a management position in a year or so (we've been out of college just over 5 years). Heck, they both make more $$ and have better benefits than I do as a post-doc. I'm sure at some point they'll hit a wall, but at one of the pharm companies I interviewed at, they had a few bachelor's and several master's level scientists heading research groups. It may not be the norm, but it can happen.

I'd say it depends on exactly what you want to be doing years down the road. I know I want to run my own lab; so I did a PhD. Not everyone has that goal--it just depends on what specifically you want for your future.

tribalbeeyatch

Absolutely. If you want a job in biotech or pharmaceutics, then don't bother educating yourself beyond a B.S. or M.S. There are easily ten or twenty jobs at this level for every job at the Ph.D. level. Add to that, the extra 5 to 8 (!) years that it would take to get the Ph.D. probably isn't enough to be guaranteed a job. The "entry-level" positions for Ph.D.s usually also require at least an additional 2 years of post-doctoral experience. That means you're looking at 7 to 10 years of training while earning a small graduate stipend or a tiny postdoctoral salary (NIH just raised their minimum postdoc salary to $34k) -- the opportunity cost for a Ph.D. is huge!

ohwilleke

If what you want to do is do real science, I'd say no.

If you want to sell chemicals or medical products, sure. I have a cousin with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering who makes good money selling components on a wholesale basis to sophisticated buyers and uses her skills. But, she isn't doing science, she's basically a sales rep.

You could also find jobs in managment, or get a law degree and become a patent lawyer.

With a Masters' maybe you could split the different and have some real science aspect without the huge opportunity costs of a PhD. But, a B.S. qualifies you to be a glorified bottle washer.

notMichaelJackson

I do not have the degree yet, nor am I anywhere near completing it. Let me ask a side question...

Could I obtain a decent job working with the environment (such as at the EPA) with a BS in Biochemistry or Biology?

I greatly enjoy learning science, but if I can't find a practical use for a BS degree there really isn't a reason for me to spend the extra two years obtaining one.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

AdamWho

The nay-sayers couldn't be more wrong. If you are a US citizen with a (ANY) science degree you can go far. You already have proven that you can think. The future is wide open for bio-tech stuff.
The important thing is that you need to have skills, not just knowledge. If your school teaches classes on how to run lab equipment, take them all.

fried beef sandwich

I have a friend right now who is an environmental consultant for the EPA - she graduated with a degree in environmental sciences - much less focused, less in depth than a biochem degree or bio degree. Had another friend who works for an environmental consulting firm, graduated with a BS in Bio. Great job, gets to be outdoors, doing field work, write up some reports, get paid a LOT of money...

Have you tried browsing through Hotjobs or monster.com?

Also, I strongly agree with the previous poster: biotech is huge now, and is going to be bigger, especially since gene therapy, pharmaceutical industry is growing. Plenty of opportunities there. Plus, if you like bio, but don't want to be a labmonkey for the rest of your life, or project manager for a lab, there are plenty of opportunities to build from there, and I'm not just talking about health care fields.

So I wouldn't worry about the job situation. Besides, in 5 years you might want to quit your job and do something else entirely (as in, non-bio). Life is like that.