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Microbiologist

Healthcare

Investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Includes medical microbiologists who study the relationship between organisms and disease or the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.

Science

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA laboratory

  • Mostly indoors
  • Regular working hours

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

In Malaysia

Malaysia's IMR has microbiology research and reference laboratories. MARDI's microbial culture collection works with non-clinical microorganisms, and UPM offers a microbiology bachelor's. Clinical and agricultural microbiology are different settings.

How people get into it here
SPM → science pre-university or relevant diploma → bachelor's in microbiology or a related life science → laboratory or research role. A research master's or PhD can support specialist or academic work; verify the requirements of each role.

Sources:biotech.upm.edu.myimr.nih.gov.mymardi.gov.myspa.gov.my

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Agronomist / Agriculture Officer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree
The full route to this careerThe steps from school, UPU programmes and sourced costs, read against your answers.

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months
Compare routes against your results and interests

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

Quick answers

How do you become a Microbiologist in Malaysia?

SPM → science pre-university or relevant diploma → bachelor's in microbiology or a related life science → laboratory or research role. A research master's or PhD can support specialist or academic work; verify the requirements of each role.

What should I study to become a Microbiologist?

Related fields of study: Science. SPM subjects that help most: Biology, Additional Science, Chemistry and English.

How much does a Microbiologist earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Microbiologist pay, so we show no figure.

Biotechnology & STEM · Career guide

Microbiologist

Studies microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, including their characteristics and growth.

Work overview based on O*NET occupation sources; Malaysian study examples and context are linked below. Actual requirements depend on the programme and post.

What does the work involve?
  • Investigate microorganism characteristics.
  • Analyse observations and experimental results.
  • Study applications in health, agriculture or industry, depending on the post.
O*NET — Microbiologists (work overview; US occupation data) ↗
Work settings and skills

Research, diagnostic, agricultural or quality laboratories; clinical and non-clinical roles have different scopes.

  • Science
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
O*NET — Microbiologists (work overview; US occupation data) ↗
Study areas and planning after SPM

Microbiology, biotechnology or a related life science.

Planning example: SPM → science pre-university or a diploma meeting programme requirements → a relevant bachelor's → job applications or research training. Check each programme's special requirements and each vacancy.

UPM offers science and biotechnology programmes; compare course content with the biological field you want to explore.

These are study areas to explore, not verified admission rules for every programme. Check special requirements, recognition and curriculum directly with the institution.

Further study and professional checks

UPM offers thesis-based master's and PhD study with programme-specific admission rules. SPA's Research Officer Q9 scheme also accepts a relevant honours science bachelor's; postgraduate study is not required for every research post.

Check the actual vacancy before treating a qualification as sufficient. Study or training does not guarantee admission or employment.

Sources and checked date

Checked: 2026-11-10

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition.
  2. 2Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
  3. 3Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.
  4. 4Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens.
  5. 5Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.
  6. 6Use a variety of specialized equipment, such as electron microscopes, gas and high-pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence-activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
  7. 7Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.
  8. 8Prepare technical reports and recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
  9. 9Research use of bacteria and microorganisms to develop vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, grain alcohol, sugars, and polymers.
  10. 10Observe action of microorganisms upon living tissues of plants, higher animals, and other microorganisms, and on dead organic matter.
  11. 11Study growth, structure, development, and general characteristics of bacteria and other microorganisms to understand their relationship to human, plant, and animal health.
  12. 12Study the structure and function of human, animal, and plant tissues, cells, pathogens, and toxins.
  13. 13Develop new products and procedures for sterilization, food and pharmaceutical supply preservation, or microbial contamination detection.
  14. 14Conduct chemical analyses of substances such as acids, alcohols, and enzymes.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Scientist
  • Cytologist
  • Virologist
  • Microscopist
  • Bacteriologist
  • Microbiologist
  • Microbiologists
  • QA Microbiologist
  • QC Microbiologist
  • Research Associate

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BiologyDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional ScienceDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Chemistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Biology95%

    BiologyAdditional Science

  • Chemistry76%

    Chemistry

  • English Language73%

    English

  • Computers and Electronics72%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Education and Training70%
  • Mathematics66%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherRarely
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time walking or movingA little
  • Hands-on work with tools or objectsMost of the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection and interpret the results.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

8%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 8 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

5 of 8 were internships

Minimum CGPA asked

3.00 to 3.00

Stated in 2 adverts. Others did not state one.

Languages named

Bahasa Malaysia

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Microbiologists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org