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Biologist Researcher information

See California salary details

$36.5K

$88.2K

$136.2K

How much do biologist researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 24, 2026, the average yearly pay for biologist researcher in California is $88,233.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,700.00 and $119,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a biologist researcher do?

A Biologist Researcher studies living organisms and their relationship to the environment. They conduct experiments, analyze data, and contribute to scientific understanding in fields such as genetics, ecology, microbiology, or zoology. Their work often involves designing and performing laboratory or field research, publishing findings in scientific journals, and collaborating with other scientists. Biologist Researchers play a crucial role in advancing knowledge that can impact medicine, conservation, agriculture, and many other areas.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a biologist researcher, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Biologist Researcher, you need a solid background in biological sciences, strong analytical skills, and typically a bachelor's or advanced degree in biology or a related field. Familiarity with laboratory equipment, molecular biology techniques, data analysis software, and sometimes certifications in laboratory safety are important. Attention to detail, critical thinking, and effective communication make candidates stand out in research environments. These skills and qualities are crucial for conducting accurate experiments, interpreting results, and contributing valuable insights to scientific knowledge.

What are some common challenges biologist researchers encounter when working on long-term projects?

Biologist Researchers often face challenges like securing consistent funding, adapting to unexpected experimental results, and managing large datasets over extended periods. Collaboration and clear communication with team members are vital to address these challenges, as research projects typically involve interdisciplinary teams. Additionally, staying current with technological advances and regulatory requirements can be demanding but is essential for successful project outcomes and career progression.

What is the difference between Biologist Researcher vs Marine Biologist?

AspectBiologist ResearcherMarine Biologist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Biology or related field; research experienceBachelor's or Master's in Marine Biology, Biology, or related; fieldwork experience
Work EnvironmentLaboratories, research facilities, field sitesOcean, coastal areas, research vessels, laboratories
Employer & IndustryUniversities, research institutes, government agenciesMarine research centers, environmental organizations, government agencies
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Biologist Researchers focus on general biological studies across various environments, often working in labs and research facilities. Marine Biologists specialize in ocean and marine ecosystems, conducting fieldwork in aquatic settings. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds but differ in their specific work environments and focus areas.

How to become a research biologist?

To become a research biologist, typically a bachelor's degree in biology or a related field is required, followed by advanced degrees such as a master's or Ph.D. for research roles. Gaining experience through internships, developing skills in laboratory techniques, data analysis, and scientific writing, and staying current with scientific literature are also important steps.

What are popular job titles related to Biologist Researcher jobs in California?

For Biologist Researcher jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Biologist Researcher jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Biologist Researcher jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Biologist Researcher jobs?

Cities in California with the most Biologist Researcher job openings:

Biologist Researcher jobs near you
Infographic showing various Biologist Researcher job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 73% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 23% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,233 per year, or $42.4 per hour.

Computational Biologist

Verge Genomics

San Francisco, CA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Re-posted 22 days ago

Job description

Who We Are
Verge is transforming drug discovery by using artificial intelligence and proprietary human data to solve the biggest driver of rising drug costs: high clinical failure rates. To achieve this, we have built one of the field's largest corpuses of multi-modal patient molecular and clinical data, sourced directly from human tissue. Our team of engineers, neuroscientists, and biologists have so far delivered two drugs to clinic, discovered 282 new targets, and signed commercial partnerships worth in excess of $1.6B with Eli Lily and AstraZeneca.
Your Mission
Reporting to the Head of Product & Engineering, and working alongside Verge's platform and computational biology teams, the Computational Biologist (AI/ML) will be responsible for defining and enabling new product offerings leveraging Verge's drug discovery engine for internal stakeholders, external partners (across both pharma and AI), and customers.
Your 12 Month Outcomes
  • Work with Verge's AI partners to deliver a best-in-class biology foundation model with Verge's proprietary datasets
  • Develop a novel approach that enables a powerful new product offering (patient stratification, biomarker discovery, etc.)
  • Deliver at least two CONVERGE-powered insights projects to pharma/biotech companies
  • Build an internal agentic AI workflow that supports multi-modal biomedical reasoning and orchestration

You Will
  • Develop and evaluate cutting-edge computational methodologies integrating multi-omic datasets to develop predictive models for translational biology,
  • Lead high-impact projects that apply and adapt AI models to translational challenges in disease biology, biomarker discovery, and target exploration,
  • Lead partnerships with AI companies to co-develop next-generation foundation models for drug discovery
  • Frame biological problems in computational terms and design solutions that are biologically meaningful, interpretable, and experimentally testable,
  • Design and implement evaluation methodologies for assessing AI model capabilities relevant to biological research and applications,
  • Translate between biological domain knowledge and machine learning objectives.

Requirements
Candidates must have:
  • Either:
    • PhD in computational biology, AI/ML, applied statistics, biophysics, or,
    • MS and professional experience in relevant fields.
  • ≥5 years of experience working in applied computational biology and integration of multi-omic datasets (RNA-seq, genotyping, clinical), with ≥2 years in a startup environment,
  • ≥2 years of experience in relevant areas of translational science, demonstrating a deep understanding of target identification, biomarker discovery, and/or patient stratification,
  • Proven ability to implement, evaluate, and/or create computational methodologies that leverage machine learning, statistics, and AI for biological research and discovery,
  • Fluency with state of the art in systems biology workflows, including off-the-shelf biological databases and computational biology tools,
  • Track record of bridging biological domain knowledge with computational approaches to solve real scientific problems
  • Track record of individual innovation, with published research or shipped work influencing pharma R&D decisions
  • Experience running a significant number of end-to-end RNA-Seq data analyses (from QC, read quantification, normalization through to interpretation),
  • Excellent coding skills in Python, with experience in relevant ML/AI libraries (e.g., PyTorch, HuggingFace, scikit-learn, pandas, numpy). A demonstrable portfolio (e.g., GitHub, research code, or shared notebooks) is highly preferred,
  • Experience in building and evaluating machine learning models on biological data, ideally with transformer-based models (e.g., scGPT, Geneformer, ESM, ProtBERT), with a deep understanding of feature selection, model interpretability,
  • Professional experience with AI workflows, including natural language processing (NLP), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), embeddings, vectorization of diverse data types, and working with large language models (e.g., GPT),
  • Demonstrated experience with model evaluation and experimental design in a scientific context, including setting up appropriate benchmarks and controls.

Finally, we seek candidates who embrace our values and way of working:
  • Ability to thrive in uncertainty with frequently changing priorities
  • Deep alignment with our values
  • A passion for making an impact on patients

Apply