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Molecular Breeding Jobs (NOW HIRING)

BASF

Principal Specialist

Davis, CA · On-site

$110K - $168K/yr

Initiating and executing internal molecular assisted breeding (MAB) project proposals addressing global R&D strategies of assigned crops. * Designing, formulating, and recommending best practice of ...

Driscoll's

Genotyping Panels Specialist

Watsonville, CA · On-site

$87K - $113K/yr

The Genotyping Panels Specialist will play a critical role in enabling high-throughput, production-scale genotyping to support predictive and molecular breeding at Driscoll's. This role is ...

Driscoll's

Genotyping Panels Specialist

Watsonville, CA · On-site

$87K - $113K/yr

The Genotyping Panels Specialist will play a critical role in enabling high-throughput, production-scale genotyping to support predictive and molecular breeding at Driscoll's. This role is ...

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Molecular Breeding information

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$11K

$80.7K

$103.5K

How much do molecular breeding jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for molecular breeding in the United States is $80,687.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69,000.00 and $98,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Molecular Breeder, you need a strong background in genetics, plant breeding, molecular biology, and typically a degree in plant sciences or related fields. Familiarity with molecular marker technologies, bioinformatics tools, and breeding software like Genstat or R is essential. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective collaboration skills help drive innovative breeding strategies. These competencies are crucial for developing improved crop varieties and ensuring successful research and development in agricultural biotechnology.

What is molecular breeding?

Molecular breeding is a scientific approach in plant and animal breeding that uses molecular biology tools and genetic markers to accelerate and improve the selection of desirable traits. Unlike traditional breeding, which relies on visible characteristics, molecular breeding identifies genes associated with specific traits, making the process more precise and efficient. This method helps breeders develop improved varieties with traits such as disease resistance, higher yield, or stress tolerance more rapidly. Molecular breeding is widely used in agriculture to ensure food security and sustainability.

What is the difference between Molecular Breeding vs Plant Breeding?

AspectMolecular BreedingPlant Breeding
Required CredentialsTypically requires a degree in genetics, molecular biology, or plant scienceRequires a degree in plant science, genetics, or agronomy
Work EnvironmentLaboratories, research facilities, field trialsField research, laboratories, greenhouses
Industry UsageUsed in crop improvement, genetic modification, marker-assisted selectionUsed in developing new plant varieties, traditional breeding methods

Both Molecular Breeding and Plant Breeding focus on improving crops, but Molecular Breeding emphasizes genetic and molecular techniques, while Plant Breeding often involves traditional cross-breeding methods. Understanding these differences helps professionals choose the right career path or specialization within agriculture and crop science.

What are the typical challenges faced by molecular breeding professionals when integrating new technologies into breeding programs?

Molecular breeding professionals often encounter challenges such as adapting to rapidly evolving genotyping technologies, ensuring accurate data interpretation, and balancing traditional breeding methods with molecular approaches. Implementing new tools requires effective collaboration with bioinformaticians and field breeders, as well as continuous training to keep up with advancements. Additionally, securing funding for high-throughput technologies and managing large datasets are common hurdles in modern molecular breeding environments.
More about Molecular Breeding jobs
What states have the most Molecular Breeding jobs? States with the most job openings for Molecular Breeding jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Molecular Breeding jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Molecular Breeding jobs are:
Molecular Breeding jobs near you
Infographic showing various Molecular Breeding job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, and 8% Contract. Highlights an 92% In-person, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $80,687 per year, or $38.8 per hour.

Research Associate - Quantitative Genetics

UPL Limited

College Station, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago

Job description

Advanta is a global seed business adapting to rapidly increasing food insecurity and climate change by providing farmers with innovation and new technologies. As part of UPL Group, Advanta aims to deliver high quality seeds with excellent agronomic practices and crop protection solutions. Advanta operates in over 80 countries under global brands of Advanta, Alta and Pacific Seeds. Advanta holds a leadership position in tropical and sub-tropical geographies in corn, grain and forage sorghum, sunflower, canola, rice, and a variety of vegetables. With over 60 years' experience in plant genetics, Advanta provides seeds technology that ensures crop performance and farmers prosperity.
Job Summary: Ideal candidate will have strong knowledge and proven research experience in plant genetics, breeding, quantitative genetics, and computational biology. Successful person will collaborate closely with molecular breeding scientists and will contribute to research projects involving mapping quantitative traits, germplasm fingerprinting, and genomic selection.
Job Responsibilities:
• Analyze genetic data from studies aimed at understanding the genetic architecture of quantitative traits.
• Interpret results from genetic studies, perform meta-analysis of proprietary and public literature, and generate technical reports.
• Present the findings to molecular breeding and breeding teams.
• Collaborate with molecular breeding scientists and laboratory to generate genotypic data for molecular breeding projects.
• Provide logistical support to molecular breeding scientists by tracking samples movement from breeding programs to ensure timely genotyping needed for implementing molecular breeding.
• Generate reports on quality of genetic data from genotypic service provider(s) to be used in molecular breeding projects.
• Curate and store genotypic data in appropriate databases for use in molecular breeding projects.
• Maintain high level of confidentiality about the company procedures and datasets.
Qualifications:
• M.S. degree in quantitative genetics, plant breeding, computational biology, plant science, crop science, biotechnology, or other related fields.
• Research experience in understanding genetic architecture of quantitative traits.
• Knowledge of molecular markers and experience in genetic data interpretation and analysis.
• Experience with the programming languages R and/or python is required.
• Excellent organizational skills are required for this position. Successful person should demonstrate ability to track, prioritize and manage multiple tasks to meet the timelines.
• Proactive, self-driven, and self-motivated person with high accountability.
• Team player with exceptional interpersonal skills who can effectively communicate with an international team of scientists.
We are one team, for maximum impact. One team with shared goals. We all play for the team and no one plays against the team. We have a laser-like focus on what our customers need and want, on anticipating their future needs and on how we can create innovative solutions and experiences for them.
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