How to hire microbiologists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens. • Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms. • Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition. • Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection. • Prepare technical reports and recommendations, based upon research outcomes. • Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment. • Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists. • Use a variety of specialized equipment, such as electron microscopes, gas and high-pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence-activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong science, reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, active learning and active listening skills • Working knowledge of biology, chemistry, English Language and computers and electronics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $42.30 an hour ($87,990 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for microbiologists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you used scientific or technical knowledge to solve a work problem.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What microbiologists do
- Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens.
- Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.
- Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition.
- Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.
- Prepare technical reports and recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
- Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
- Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.
- Use a variety of specialized equipment, such as electron microscopes, gas and high-pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence-activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for microbiologists
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +6.2% over ten years, faster than average · about 1,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay microbiologists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $122,350 |
| California | $108,530 |
| Maryland | $108,470 |
| Georgia | $103,070 |
| New Jersey | $96,020 |
| New York | $81,090 |
| Ohio | $72,500 |
| Texas | $66,450 |
See microbiologists pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Animal Scientists
- Food Scientists and Technologists
- Soil and Plant Scientists
- Biochemists and Biophysicists
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
- Biological Scientists, All Other
- Conservation Scientists
- Foresters
- Epidemiologists
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.