what are career opportunities with a major in molecular biology?

Answer 1

B.S. with no further education, little to no research experience:
1) Lab technician- Academic or Biotech, limited research opportunities but still very possible.
2) Sales- Biotech Company
3) Patents- etc.
4) Medical School Education
B.S. with no further education, extensive research experience:
1) All of the above+
2) Lab technician- Academic or Biotech, research and career opportunities more readily available although largely tech position.
3) Graduate School Education- Masters and Doctoral
B.S. and M.S.:
1) All of the above+
2) Staff Researcher- Academic or Biotech, includes tech responsibilities and a robust research programme. This can also include higher level lab technician and Project Scientist.
B.S. and PhD:
1) All of the above+
2) Post-doctoral research- Academic and somewhat Biotech, career opportunites for both.
3) Staff Research/Project Scientist- Sole research responsibilites, career opportunities, includes non-academic positions in non-profit and regulatory bodies/federal agencies, including the USPTO (Patents).
4) Science Policy Fellow/Advocate- Political, congress and even for the executive branch.

This is by no means an exhausted list of job opportunites, just the ones that are prevalent. Pretty much all the fun stuff you need at least a master's but really a Ph.D., unless you went bio to help you get into medical school which in my opinion was wasted effort as many non-science majors get into top medical schools. Hopefully you went bio because the science captivates your imagination, otherwise it's a big waste of time and money.

PS What Peachiness said.

Answer 2

Research Scientist, Pharmaceutical or Biotechnology Industry, Science Writer/Editor, Science Policy, Teacher (high school and above), Administration in a research setting.
And of course, you could just quit science entirely and do something completely different (for example, I know biology PhDs that go on to film school, law school, writing, med school, etc).
The unfortunate thing about majoring in molecular biology is that you don't really come out with many practical skills (I mean, seriously, when will it EVER matter in the real world what proteins are involved in transcription?) and it'll be hard to advance up any scientific career path without continuing on to get a doctorate. That said, science can be a very rewarding career for a passionate enough person.

Answer 3

You could be a molecular biologist or a pizza delivery person