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
ASBMB names 2026 award winners
Check out their lectures at the annual meeting in March in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
Upcoming opportunities
Register for the free ASBMB Breakthroughs webinar on lipid metabolism, coming up on Sept. 17!
Peer through a window to the future of science
Aaron Hoskins of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Sandra Gabelli of Merck, co-chairs of the 2026 ASBMB annual meeting, to be held March 7–10, explain how this gathering will inspire new ideas and drive progress in molecular life sciences.
Fulfilling unmet medical need: Novel medicine disclosures
Medicinal chemist H. Rachel Lagiakos transforms personal loss into scientific purpose, pioneering brain-penetrant therapies and using computational design to accelerate the discovery of safer, more effective medicines.
Talk nerdy to me: Communicating research that matters
Master science communication: learn to engage the public, work with the press and explore new careers — from consulting to media — through ASBMB’s Art of Science Communication course.
Upcoming opportunities
Apply for ASBMB accreditation by Sept. 15 to join a network of institutions committed to excellence in BMB education.