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.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.
Learn moreFeatured 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
Upcoming opportunities
#ASBMB26 late-breaking abstract submission opens on December 8. Register by Jan. 15 to get the early rate on our Annual Meeting.

Make your abstract stand out
Ensure your research is impossible to overlook. Get quick, practical reminders for crafting an abstract that attracts readers and helps you build connections at the conference.

Inside industry postdocs
As more Ph.D. scientists look beyond academia, industry postdocs offer a new kind of training, where mentorship meets mission-driven research. Fellows at Pfizer and Genentech share how these programs prepare them to translate discovery into impact.
Upcoming opportunities
The Lipid Research Division Seminar Series returns Oct. 15 with talks on recent advances in triglyceride cycling in adipocytes.

Writing with AI turns chaos into clarity
Associate professor shares how generative AI, used as a creative whiteboard, helps scientists refine ideas, structure complexity and sharpen clarity — transforming the messy process of discovery into compelling science writing.
Upcoming opportunities
Register for the free ASBMB webinar on the power of "Yes" and knowing when to use it, coming up on Sept. 30!