In an effort to better understand the microbiology workforce, ASM commissioned the second iteration of our Workforce Trends report series entitled, Microbial Science: Career Paths, Demands for Skills and International Trends in Employment and Publications. This new installment, led by Donna Ginther, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Policy and Social Research (IPSR) at the University of Kansas, provides essential insights into the evolving landscape of microbial sciences and builds on the foundation of our first workforce report, Workforce Trends: The Future of Microbial Sciences.

ASM is embracing our responsibility to provide the community with the most updated and reliable information about the status of the microbiology workforce. It is our hope that this will help trainees and their mentors, together with all established professionals, navigate their career paths.

Among its key findings, the report revealed that the microbiology workforce has evolved significantly over the past 25 years. During that time, the percentage of Ph.D. microbiologists working in tenure-stream academic positions fell from 22% to 16%, government employment increased from 7% to 12%, and between 35–45% of Ph.D. microbiologists were working in industry by 2021.

Furthermore, while job postings for microbiologists in clinical and managerial settings have decreased since 2023 (stabilizing at pre-pandemic levels), demands for specific skills have remained relatively stable over the past 5 years.

When it comes to trends in publiation, microbiology publications have tripled in the past 2 decades, with researchers from China publishing more papers in the field than any other country. However, the U.S. has the highest country H-index in microbiology, chemistry and biochemistry, indicating that U.S. research continues to have a great impact on science.

These data underscore the growing need for educators and institutions to adapt their curricula to meet the demands of a global, industry-driven workforce and call for a reimagining of educational pathways, ensuring that the next generation of microbial scientists is equipped with the skills needed to thrive in diverse professional environments.

On a global scale, this report allows microbial scientists from all career sectors to delve into the landscape of the microbiology discipline. The findings of this study will inform tangible action needed to sustain the profession.

This report is available to current ASM members only.
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The workforce trends illustrated in this report will also help us build connections across sectors, allowing us to harness the power of microbes to solve the world’s biggest problems—like climate change, antimicrobial resistance and emerging infectious diseases. In order to do so, it is essential that the microbial sciences workforce is robust, diverse and engaged and that we capture the future of the field.