Jobs you can do with a biomedical sciences degree

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Biomedical sciences is a fascinating subject area. You’ll learn all about genetics, the human body, how we fight off illnesses, how medicines work in the body, how diseases are passed down the bloodline and so on.

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What do biomedical sciences graduates do?

Wondering what kind of jobs can you get with a biomedical sciences degree? The most popular industries graduates go into are healthcare and natural sciences. Almost half of biomedical sciences graduates go into a sciences-related industry after graduating. Other popular sectors include childcare and education. Further study is another common next step for biomedical sciences graduates. While these general overviews of graduate prospects are really useful, we’ve gone a step further and cracked down a list of six careers that use the skillsets and knowledge of this topic to land you an incredible job, and here they are:

• Biomedical scientist
• Clinical scientist
• Forensic scientist
• Medicinal chemist
• Microbiologist
• Toxicologist

If you're interested in one of these careers, we've broken them down further to explain what your day-to-day tasks might be, as well as what kind of salary you could expect in one of thee roles.

Data on graduate outcomes sourced from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Biomedical scientist

What does a biomedical scientist do?

Biomedical scientists carry out a variety of scientific tests and conduct analysis on tissue and fluid samples given by patients. Your work is extremely important as it helps doctors diagnose and treat diseases. There are four areas in which you could specialise:

Infection Sciences: testing for and identifying organisms and viruses that cause diseases

Blood Sciences: analysing blood samples for levels of toxins or presence of diseases, including analysing donated blood

Cell Sciences: conducting cellular analysis of tissue samples to test for the presence of diseases like cancer

Genetics and Molecular Pathology: the analysis of genes in diagnosis and evaluation of hereditary diseases

Day-to-day tasks

Here’s some responsibilities you can expect to do as a biomedical scientist:

• Preparation of samples for testing
• Using specific medical and laboratory equipment to conduct analytical tests on samples, often working to tight deadlines
• Registration of patient data and writing up of test results on centralised databases
• Sending results back to doctors and medical staff who can use the information to diagnose and treat the conditions, explaining results where necessary

Biomedical scientists typically work 37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri. However, there may be additional hours required. You’ll mainly be based in your laboratory/office.

Biomedical scientist salary

Entry-level roles in the NHS range from £28,407 to £34,581 (Band 5). As a more senior Biomedical scientist, you will typically earn between £43,742 to £57,349 (Band 7/8a).

Typical employers

Biomedical scientists tend to be employed by private hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, universities, clinical pathology laboratories and public health boards.

The NHS is the biggest employer of biomedical scientists in the UK. You can find biomedical scientist jobs around the UK in different NHS trusts.  

Clinical scientist

What does a clinical scientist do?         

Based within a lab typically, clinical scientists have the option of working in 4 different fields: biochemistry, genomics, haematology and immunology. For each department, the job role varies, but in general, you’ll examine patient samples relative to your field to uncover any abnormalities, traces of disease or viruses, or other health disorders.

You’ll also work closely with other healthcare professionals, providing knowledge to patients regarding the diagnosis and treatment of their illnesses.

This role requires in-depth studies of different samples and the ability to detect abnormalities, something your degree emphasises strongly. You’ll be working alongside a strong team, much like your practical university assignments, and be taking the lead in investigations of samples by putting your knowledge of diseases to the test.

Day-to-day tasks

Your typical work week may will involve some or all the following:

• Advising medical and nursing staff on the collection and interpretation of clinical tests over the phone
• Conducting tests in the laboratory, adhering to testing and laboratory health and safety protocols
• Writing quantitative and qualitative analysis reports on test results
• Collaborating with doctors to find suitable treatments for patients
• Researching and developing new methods of testing, diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders
• Working at patient clinics, advising patients on treatment plans and medications

Clinical scientists typically work 37.5 hours per week. Depending on what specialism you take, you may either work Mon-Fri 9-5, or on a shift pattern if the lab is open 24/7. You’ll mainly be based in your laboratory/office.

Clinical scientist salary

Clinical scientists tend to start on NHS Pay Band 6, with £35,392. Consultant clinical scientists can go up to Band 9, which has top earnings of £114,949. Those living in London will earn an extra inner-city weighting.

Typical employers

The NHS is the biggest employer, but you can find jobs as a clinical scientist for private biomedical research companies and government agencies such as Public Health England.

You can also find jobs in the private sector, for pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies.

You can search for jobs on: New Scientist, NHS Jobs, NHS Scotland, or general online job search sites

Forensic scientist

What does a forensic scientist do?

Forensic scientists examine a crime scene, and collect any corresponding evidence. This includes:

• Blood and other bodily fluids
• Human hairs
• Fingerprints
• Clothing fibres, including footprints
• Other fibres or samples of materials found in the crime scene (paint, wood, tyre marks)

A lot of the examination and testing of samples is biology-based, including DNA analysis and toxicology testing for substances in blood and urine etc. (though it could also be chemistry-based, analysing substances found at the scene of an arson, for example), therefore your degree was perfect training for this.

After testing, you may be called to present your evidence in a court of law, in order help prosecute or defend the accused.

Day-to-day tasks

A typical day could involve any of the following:

• Analysing crime scenes
• Conducting the appropriate scientific tests on the samples collected 
• Recording test results accurately on a central database
• Working with other agencies to interpret findings
• Giving evidence in court
• Researching and testing new methods of forensic collecting and sample testing

Forensic scientists normally work 37.5-40 hours per week. However, as crimes can happen at any time and some lab tests may need ongoing monitoring, some extra hours may be required. This role is mainly office/lab based but with some on-site work.

Forensic scientist salary

As for how much does a forensic scientist make, entry-level forensic scientist jobs earn around £20,000 a year, moving up to £50K with more senior roles.

Typical employers

Forensic scientists are hired by police forces, government departments, special units, universities, laboratories and more. 

Medicinal chemist

What does a medicinal chemist do?

A medicinal chemist is an R&D (research and development) role, working daily on the discovery of new drugs that can be used to treat patients of illnesses ranging from hay fever, to cancer, to Alzheimer’s.

The work involves planning and conducting specific scientific experiments on proteins found in drug compounds and on proteins found in the human body, analysing the potential effects of one on the other to identify which compounds can be used to fight certain biological conditions.

You’ll keep running these tests, fine-tuning the compounds until you have found one that works. You’ll then run more tests to ensure these compounds are safe for human trialling.

You’ll love working as a medicinal chemist because it’ll utilise your lab skills, using and developing your knowledge of conducting experiments and compounds of different medicines. Plus, your work could lead to the discovery of a drug that could save thousands of people’s lives.

Day-to-day tasks

A day in the life of a medicinal chemist involves:

• Analysing data collected during testing, using data to refine and plan further tests
• Researching and developing new methodologies for testing 
• Keeping the lab fully stocked and updated in line with industry standards
• Attending internal and external meetings, lectures and conferences – both to improve your industry and scientific knowledge and sometimes presenting on the work you are doing

A medicinal chemist typically works office hours of 9-5pm, Monday-Friday, though extra hours may be required. You’ll be mainly based in your laboratory conducting experiments, though some travel to meetings/events will be needed.

Medicinal chemist salary

Starting salary depends on the employer, ranging from roughly £22,000, with experienced positions paying up to £83,000, according to Prospects.

Note: A lot of drug research is becoming computerised. To further progress your career, you could develop your computational analytical skills – learning coding methods such as python and cheminformatics to analyse drug and body proteins.

Typical employers

Typical employers include pharmaceutical companies, who manufacture and sell drugs, research companies, who carry out work on behalf of the drug companies, research institutes, the government, universities or working for medical charities.

Most employers in the UK are based in London and the South East, however there is potential for working abroad, with Switzerland, Germany, China, Japan and the US all known for their pharmaceutical industries.

You can search for jobs on specific site such as Chemistry World Jobs  or New Scientist.

Microbiologist

What does a microbiologist do?

Microbiologists study the biology of microorganisms. They work mainly in their laboratories and offices, testing and analysing samples and writing reports on their findings.

Their work can cover specialisms such as healthcare and pharmaceutical, agriculture and food safety, manufacturing, and environmental industries.

Those who work in healthcare and pharmaceuticals focus on the study of microorganisms that cause illnesses and infections, such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria, and work to identify how they grow, develop and spread. This is in order to find out how to prevent them, diagnose them and treat those infected with them.

Those who work in manufacturing or environmental industries work on quality control within their industries – ensuring no contamination has taken place,

Those who work in agriculture and food safety do a mixture of both.

Day-to-day tasks

Activities include:

• Collecting samples from a range of environments 
• Preparing cultures of micro-organisms ready for testing
• Testing samples using a range of analytical techniques
• Developing new medicines or vaccines
• Developing new methodologies for testing samples and analysing data

Most microbiologists work normal office hours of 9-5, Monday-Friday, though overtime may be required

Microbiologist salary

Microbiologists working in the NHS normally start on Pay Band 6, with a salary of £35,392. Once qualified, salaries move up to Band 7, where salaries range from £43,742 to £50,056. Senior scientists could fall into Band 8 or even 9, with top salaries in the £100,000 range.

Microbiologists working for private companies or in university research departments tend to have higher salaries.

Typical employers

The need for microbiologists span across food standards agencies, government agencies, food companies, hospitals, universities, research institutions and water and waste management companies. One of the biggest employers of microbiologists in the UK is the NHS.

Toxicologist

What does a toxicologist do?

Toxicologists work to identify and assess the impact of toxins on human and animal health, and the wider environment.  From exposing dangerous substances in our food and water systems and testing that new medicines are safe for human consumption, to analysing the long-term effects of radiation – the hard work of toxicologists is an important part of our everyday life.

There are various specialist toxicologist roles that you could go into, including:

• Clinical toxicologists: test the effects of drugs on human bodies
• Industrial toxicologists: test the effects of chemicals used in the manufacturing process
• Nutritional toxicologists: test the effects of additives in food
• Forensic toxicologists: test blood or other fluid samples found at a crime scene to determine if toxins (poisons) were used in any way   

Day-to-day tasks

Duties depend on which field you go in to, but you day will typically involve some of these:

• Collecting samples for testing
• Running a range of tests and experiments 
• Keeping accurate records of all tests and test results on centralised databases
• Using computer software to analyse and evaluate findings
• Writing reports on finding and presenting them to internal and external agencies
• Assisting with the creation of national and international regulations relating to toxic substances or working – industrial toxicologists
• Assisting doctors with planning and implementing patient treatments – clinical toxicologists
• Giving evidence in court

Toxicologists usually work 9-5, Monday-Friday, however some flexibility (i.e. weekend work) might be required if experiments need ongoing monitoring.

Toxicologist salary

Salaries for those working in the private sector start at around £20,000 and progress up to around £55,000, with the average being around £35,000, depending on location. 

For those working in the NHS, salaries start on Pay Band 6 (approx. £35,000) and can progress up to approx. £115,000 (Pay Band 9) for senior consultants.

Typical employers

Typical toxicologist employers include environmental agencies, universities, water, pharmaceutcial and chemical companies, hospitals, forensic laboratories and special research organisations. However, it does depend on your specific discipline, with the NHS being a big employer in the UK.

Essential skills required for biomedical sciences jobs

A degree in biomedical sciences is the stepping-stone you need for all these interesting and highly rewarding careers. But an academic qualification is not the only thing you need. To succeed in any of these roles, you’ll also need to have/to be:

• Excellent attention to detail 
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• High levels of motivation with the ability to work proactively and think independently 
• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a large team
• Excellent written communication and report writing skills
• Exceptional analytical skills, with the ability to evaluate and interpret large amounts quantitative data 
• Excellent oral communication skills – with both professionals and non-professionals (including patients) 
• Excellent numeracy, literacy and IT skills 
• Willingness to adhere to health and safety procedures in the working environment 
• Willingness to keep learning and stay up to date with latest scientific developments 
• Patience and resilience in undertaking painstaking, often repetitive work

Further study options for those with a biomedical sciences degree

Although you can enter all of the professions above with an undergraduate biomedical sciences degree, in order to succeed in your field and progress to senior and higher paid roles, a masters or even a PhD course in your specialist field could be very beneficial.

There are postgraduate courses in areas such as microbiology, toxicology or forensic science that you can explore that will help you increase your specialist knowledge.

Note that for many clinical roles within the NHS (including clinical scientist, biomedical scientist and microbiologist roles), you will need to successfully complete the NHS Scientist Training Programme. 

This is a three-year workplace-based programme during which you will be employed. The first year is spent rotating between departments and in the second and third, you’ll choose your specialism. The training also includes study for an approved masters degree in your specialism.

At the end of the programme you’ll be able to register with the Health & Care Professions Council. 

Please see individual job roles on NHS Jobs for exact job entry requirements.

Where can you study biomedical sciences?

There are currently over 100 universities offering over 300 biomedical sciences courses.

You can search for the best course for you, based on your own preferences – including our own student reviews, entry requirements and location.

Remember, uni life is more than just the quality of the course. When considering where to study, don’t forget to consider other important aspects such as location; social life and graduate prospects.

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