Jobs

By the numbers: Career prospects in the life sciences

Laurel Oldach Lisa Schnabel Allison Frick
By Laurel Oldach, Lisa Schnabel and Allison Frick
Aug. 1, 2019

Ph.D. outcomes by the numbers:
Career prospects in the life sciences

Ph.D. outcomes by the numbers:
Career prospects in the life sciences

 

The first step after graduate school

The National Science Foundation administers the Survey of Earned Doctorates to degree recipients before they leave their universities. One line of inquiry in the survey is about post-graduation plans for employment. Among about 12,500 graduates in the life sciences in 2017, many had not made a definite commitment by the time they took the survey. Others had accepted job or postdoc offers. Here’s where.

Graduation cap chart

 
 

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Laurel Oldach

Laurel Oldach is a former science writer for the ASBMB.

Lisa Schnabel
Lisa Schnabel

Lisa Schnabel is the senior graphic designer at the ASBMB.

Allison Frick

Allison Frick is the ASBMB’s multimedia and social media content manager.

Featured jobs

from the ASBMB career center

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Careers

Careers highlights or most popular articles

Redefining excellence to drive equity and innovation
Award

Redefining excellence to drive equity and innovation

Jan. 22, 2026

Donita Brady will receive the ASBMB Ruth Kirschstein Award for Maximizing Access in Science at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, March 7–10, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Upcoming opportunities
Announcement

Upcoming opportunities

Jan. 14, 2026

Calling all biochemistry and molecular biology educators! Share your teaching experiences and insights in ASBMB Today’s essay series. Submit your essay or pitch by Jan. 15, 2026.

Mapping proteins, one side chain at a time
Award

Mapping proteins, one side chain at a time

Jan. 7, 2026

Roland Dunbrack Jr. will receive the ASBMB DeLano Award for Computational Biosciences at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, March 7–10, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Exploring the link between lipids and longevity
Profile

Exploring the link between lipids and longevity

Jan. 2, 2026

Meng Wang will present her work on metabolism and aging at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, March 7-10, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Upcoming opportunities
Announcement

Upcoming opportunities

Dec. 31, 2025

Calling all biochemistry and molecular biology educators! Share your teaching experiences and insights in ASBMB Today’s essay series. Submit your essay or pitch by Jan. 15, 2026.

Defining a ‘crucial gatekeeper’ of lipid metabolism
Award

Defining a ‘crucial gatekeeper’ of lipid metabolism

Dec. 31, 2025

George Carman receives the Herbert Tabor Research Award at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, March 7–10, just outside of Washington, D.C.