An extra pair of trained hands for field and lab biologists — collecting samples, recording data, tending specimens, and handling the grunt work that keeps a research project moving. Hands-on entry into the science.
A typical stretch mixes field collection, sample handling, and data entry — counting, measuring, tagging, and logging, often outdoors or at a bench. You support biologists and technicians, doing the careful, repetitive tasks that good data depends on. The pace can follow seasons or project cycles, and accuracy matters more than speed at every step.
What surprises people is how physical and weather-dependent the fieldwork can be — long days, remote sites, and conditions that don't cooperate. Pay and security tend to be modest, and many roles are seasonal or grant-funded. The work spans wildlife, fisheries, environmental, and lab settings, each with its own tasks and tempo — and often a stepping-stone.
It tends to fit someone patient, careful, and genuinely curious about living systems. If you want autonomy, stability, or indoor comfort, the entry-level conditions may chafe. But if you treat it as a way into the field — and like the mix of outdoors, hands-on work, and contributing to real research — the role can be a solid, formative start.
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Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
An extra pair of trained hands for field and lab biologists — collecting samples, recording data, tending specimens, and handling the grunt work that keeps a research project moving. Hands-on entry into the science.
Median pay for a Biological Aide is about $49K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $33K to $82K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Science, and Active Learning.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.9% through 2034, with roughly 90,530 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Histologic Aide, Greenhouse Project Manager, and Agronomy Operations Manager.
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