Explore career options in biomedical science
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a biomedical science degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
A degree in biomedical science focuses on the biological and clinical sciences, and provides a solid foundation in molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology, preparing graduates for careers in a wide range of fields including medicine and medical research.
A range of postgraduate qualifications are available following completion of this degree, including graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and masters degrees in fields such as medical research, genetic counselling, rehabilitation counselling, speech pathology, public health, clinical biochemistry, clinical physiology, infection control and embryology.
Career fields
(* denotes further study at postgraduate level likely to be required)
- Biotechnology
- Cardiac testing
- CSIRO and other research institutes
- Government departments
- Health and medical research
- Health promotion
- Hospitals—private and public
- Medical laboratory science
- Medical goods and service sales
- Respiratory science
- Embryology*
- Epidemiology and public health*
- Genetic counselling*
- Infection control*
- Medicine*
- Pharmacy*
- Rehabilitation counselling*
- Speech pathology*
Employment roles
- Microbiologist
- Medical scientist
- Research assistant
- EEG technician
- Laboratory technician
- Medical laboratory scientist
- Scientific officer
- Scientist
- Sleep scientist
- Tissue culture technician
Occupation snapshot
Employed
760
Future demand
Stable
Weekly earnings
$1,458
Part-time share
22%
This data is based on the occupation profile for microbiologists retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website and YourCareer websites August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical skills and communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- GradConnection
- Careers at CSIRO
- Ethical Jobs
- Australian Public Service Jobs
- Brisbane City Council vacancies
- Queensland Courts
- Australian Local Government Directory
- New South Wales Government jobs
- Queensland Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Research Career
- Seek
- Careers in sciences
Notable alumnus: Dr Barry Kirby AO
Dr. Barry Kirby AO, a former carpenter turned medical doctor, witnessed a traumatic incident in Papua New Guinea (PNG) that led him to realize the urgent need for more doctors in the region. After completing his medical studies, he returned to PNG as a rural doctor and founded ‘The Hands of Rescue,’ a not-for-profit organisation focused on safe motherhood.
His holistic approach includes training staff, providing a flying doctor service, building waiting houses, and distributing ‘baby bundles’ to encourage antenatal care and supervised deliveries.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Australasian Society for Human Biology
- Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology
- Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
- Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Australian Society for Medical Research
- Australian Society for Microbiology.
Students are welcome to join and membership and can cost as little as $60 per year.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career outcomes
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.