The life sciences are theoretically as old as life itself. Thinkers have for millennia asked themselves questions about biological creatures and their anatomy.

Aristotle was one such thinker. Thousands of years ago, he questioned the diversity of birds. He was curious to know what function their beaks and their legs served within their environments.

Now you want to follow in this great philosopher’s footsteps. And the first step to doing so is taking your pick of the myriad life sciences careers available to you today.

Before you settle on a career, though, we thought you’d like to know just what makes life science careers so cool. That said, we’ve put together a list of eight things to look forward to if you go into the life sciences. Enjoy!

1. There Are Several Concentrations to Choose From

The life sciences provide an endless number of options before you begin your career. As a student, there are several concentrations you can choose from.

Let’s say, for example, you’d like to study animal behavior and physiology one day. There’s a specific degree–a zoology degree–you can obtain to do just this.

But if your goal is to one day study the chemical reactions which are required for life to exist? You can instead choose to obtain a degree in biochemistry.

And there are so many more concentrations to choose from–and they’re each highly specific. Don’t, however, worry about choosing the “wrong” concentration. Life sciences degrees allow their holders some flexibility.

2. The Career Options Are Endless…

The career options available to life science degree holders are even more numerous than the concentrations. You can attribute this number of job options to the fact that the life sciences are so interconnected and crucial to our understanding of the world around us.

For instance, a degree in biology can get you a job as:

• A biochemist
• A biotechnologist
• A microbiologist
• A biomedical scientist

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Notice that each job is incredibly specific and can be easily paired with other knowledge. A biotechnologist, for example, must have an expert-level understanding of both biology and technology.

For more information about the types of careers available to life sciences majors, we recommend that you take a look at some life sciences recruitment agencies’ resources. You can learn more here.

3. And Aren’t Always Obvious

Recall the short list of career options for biology degree holders we provided above. Now answer this question:

Were all of the options on the list obvious? We’re willing to bet that at least one of them wasn’t.

Simply put, many people don’t realize the real-world applications of the life sciences. The life sciences play a huge part in technology (e.g. biometric authentication), medicine, and a host of other industries.

So if you’re pursuing a degree in a life sciences field, don’t forget to think outside of the box.

4. You Can Easily Move From One Field to the Next

All life is interconnected. This interconnection makes life that much more amazing. It also makes moving from one field to the next a bit easier for people who work in life sciences fields.

Imagine that you currently work at a job which requires an understanding of biolinguistics. Let’s say that you want to switch things up and do some field work alongside biological anthropologists.

Guess what? Making that switch is doable. One day you’re studying the biology and evolution of language, the next you’re excavating The Cradle of Humankind.

5. Life Science Careers Pay Well

People have long associated many scientific fields with high pay. And they’re not wrong to do so. Students who study the life sciences can expect to receive above-average pay if they attain careers in their desired fields.

Biochemists, for instance, have a median salary of over $82,000. Wildlife biologists do pretty well for themselves too, with a median salary of just under $60,000.

Life sciences majors who go into the medical field can expect even higher salaries. Dentists, for example, have a median salary of over $158,000. That’s almost twice the median salary of biochemists.

6. The High-Paying Jobs Often Require Graduate Degrees

Life sciences jobs may pay well, but life sciences degree holders often need graduate degrees to land the highest paying jobs.

Recall that the median salary of a dentist is over $158,000. Well, no dentist is making that much money with a bachelor’s degree.

Dentists have a longer, harder path than some other life sciences majors. After they attain their bachelor’s degrees, they must then go to dental school. Dental school can take about four years to complete.

Of course, not all life sciences careers require this much education. You can certainly snag a good-paying job with certain life sciences degrees.

7. Life Sciences Fields Are Experiencing Job Growth

Some areas of study have seen job growth come to a halt as a result of new technologies. These new technologies are eradicating the need for certain professions and driving down the demand for workers in those fields.

But this isn’t the case in many life sciences fields.

Jobs in the dental industry are expected to grow by 18 percent by 2024. Jobs in the biochemistry field are projected to grow by 8 percent. And the list goes on.

As it turns out, you just can’t automate the type of expertise the holders of life sciences degrees possess. A robot will likely never, for example, interact with a wild animal in the same way a human animal behaviorist could.

8. Life Sciences Have a Huge Impact on Our Lives

In 2012, human life expectancy in the United States rose to 78.8 years. This increase marked a record high.

And we have no one but our life sciences specialists to thank for this increase. Because humans wouldn’t enjoy such long lifespans without our understanding of the life sciences.

Doctors wouldn’t, for instance, be able to administer vaccines if experts didn’t understand how viruses work. Nor would they be able to safely perform major, invasive surgeries without the knowledge they possess.

All of this to say: Just know that you’re making a difference in all our lives when you go into the life sciences.

Interested in Finding Out More About Life Sciences Careers?

In actuality, there are more than eight things to know about life science careers. The life sciences are so special and interesting that we could rave about them all day.

Unfortunately, though, we don’t have time to do so. As a result, we’ll just have to point you in the direction of some of our other amazing science stories. From the life sciences to technological innovations, we’ve got a story for everyone.