Will AI replace molecular and cellular biologists?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 7h 39m (96%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.7% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 2 of 22 tasks, about 21m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste. (16m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Participate in all levels of bioproduct development, including proposing new products, performing market analyses, designing and performing experiments, and collaborating with operations and quality control teams during product launches. (5m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 7 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

7h 39m of a typical shift, or 96%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis. (1h 8m a shift)
• Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results. (47m a shift)
• Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation. (47m a shift)
• Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations. (42m a shift)
• Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary. (42m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 69% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 65% talk face to face with others every day
• 58% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

On Indeed, job postings in the Scientific Research & Development sector are at 84% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 19.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 4,300 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $98,920 a year ($47.56 an hour), 94% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $60,430 and $168,010 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 62,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 4,300 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 56,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.04% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 369th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 62,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is post-doctoral training: about 35% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 5 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: graduate degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Science, Mathematics, Learning Strategies, Operations Analysis
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 39m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: R, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Illustrator
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Biochemists and Biophysicists (43m touched, $127k median pay)
• Geneticists (3h 36m touched, $99k median pay)
• Microbiologists (1h 10m touched, $88k median pay)
• Bioinformatics Scientists (3h 38m touched, $99k median pay)
• Postsecondary Biological Science Teachers (3h 18m touched, $85k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 observed in real AI use, 20 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.