Frequently Asked Questions About Biotechnology

There are many forces driving our state toward biotechnology. North Carolina’s traditional workforce sectors of textile, tobacco, and furniture are in decline. During this same period, however, science and technology workforce sectors such as pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing are growing, resulting in an increased demand for skilled workers. For example, many of the drugs discovered 12 to 15 years ago are finally ending the clinical testing phase and beginning to receive FDA approval. This means these drugs will soon enter the stage of mass manufacturing. It is believed that, with a little bit of retraining, workers in the traditional workforce sectors can find employment in the new “21st century” workforce sectors.

From a business point of view, companies in science and technology workforce sectors often require at least nine months to train a new hire. Many of these companies are looking to two- and four-year colleges to help reduce this training time by half or better. In addition, because of advances in technology, workers with certificate or associate degree training can now perform processes or run instruments that once required a bachelor’s or graduate degree.

It should also be noted that biotechnology is not simply a “fad sector” that has only recently popped up in this state. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center was founded in 1981, and the Research Triangle Park has been in existence for over four decades.

Job opportunities are available in biotechnology for all levels of education. Examples of job descriptions are provided in this excerpt from a recent publication by the NC Biotechnology Center or you may access the entire Window on the Workplace report.

As with most other fields, salary is usually commensurate with years of education (e.g., those with a bachelor's degree are usually paid more than those with an associate's degree). The Windows in the Workplace report contains typical salary ranges for different types of entry-level positions.

Frequently asked questions for the BioWork Program and Basic Laboratory Skills are also available.