Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs

Postdoctoral Researcher jobs are open across academia, pharmaceuticals, biotech, and government research institutions, from entry-level postdoc appointments to senior research associate roles, with specializations in molecular biology, computational research, and materials science. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs

Overview

Open roles382+
Top stateTexas
Top employerSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Top cityHouston, TX
Work type84% On-site
Top industryEducation

Showing 5 of 382+ Postdoctoral Researcher jobs

University of California Los Angeles
Postdoctoral Researcher – Metabolic Engineering & Synthetic Biology
We won't show you this job again
University of California Los Angeles
Added 1d ago
Postdoctoral Researcher – Metabolic Engineering & Synthetic Biology
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Business Development
Customer Success
Project Management
$69k - $83k/yr
Doctorate in microbiology
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Solid State Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopist - Postdoctoral Researcher
We won't show you this job again
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Added 2d ago
Solid State Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopist - Postdoctoral Researcher
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
Specialized Engineering
Doctoral degree in chemistry
5,001-10,000

Have you applied for this role?

Wake Forest University
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
We won't show you this job again
Wake Forest University
Added 2d ago
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Biotech & Life Sciences
Clinical Trials
Laboratory Research
$60k.04 - $73k.75/yr
On-Site
Doctorate in microbiology
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Postdoctoral Researcher – Battery Materials & Electrochemical Energy Storage
We won't show you this job again
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Added 2d ago
Postdoctoral Researcher – Battery Materials & Electrochemical Energy Storage
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
San Francisco Bay Area, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
Specialized Engineering
$84k - $94k/yr
Doctoral degree in chemistry
5,001-10,000

Have you applied for this role?

University of Arizona
Postdoctoral Research Associate I
We won't show you this job again
University of Arizona
Added 2d ago
Postdoctoral Research Associate I
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Project Management
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Technical Product & Program Management
Doctoral degree in neuroscience
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Top Cities Hiring Postdoctoral Researchers

Explore postdoctoral researcher openings in the cities hiring most right now.

See All 382+ Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs

Postdoctoral Researcher Job Market

Who's Hiring

  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
    St. Jude Children's Research Hospital19
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    Los Alamos National Laboratory17
  • University of Arizona
    University of Arizona15
  • Washington University in St. Louis
    Washington University in St. Louis13
  • University of Virginia
    University of Virginia12

Top Industries Hiring

  • Education94
  • Healthcare & Medical Services30
  • Science & Research22
  • Investment & Asset Management10
  • Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals3

What Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in postdoctoral researcher jobs.

  • PhD in a relevant field completed or defended prior to start date
  • Demonstrated first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals
  • Proficiency with field-specific software such as R, Python, MATLAB, or ImageJ
  • Experience designing and independently executing original research projects
  • Strong written and oral communication skills for grant writing and presentations
  • Ability to mentor graduate students and collaborate across interdisciplinary teams

Tips for Your Postdoctoral Researcher Job Search

Tailor your CV to each institution

Academic and industry postdoc applications weight your CV differently. For industry roles, move your methods and technical skills above publications. For academic positions, lead with your dissertation work and any independent funding you've secured.

Target labs with active funding cycles

A PI's grant cycle determines whether a postdoc position is real or aspirational. Check NIH Reporter or NSF Award Search to confirm a lab has active R01s or equivalent grants before investing time in a cover letter.

Apply early to roles that fit

Migrate Mate lists postdoctoral researcher openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.

Write a research statement that lands

Your research statement should spend two-thirds on your past work and one-third on a specific future project. Committees reject vague future directions. Name the exact question you'll pursue and explain why the host lab's resources make it answerable.

Prepare for a chalk talk, not just questions

Many postdoc interviews include an informal chalk talk where you sketch a project at the whiteboard. Practice explaining your most recent experiment from scratch to a non-specialist, because hiring committees often include faculty outside your subfield.

Negotiate start date and lab resources directly

Salary in postdoc offers is often fixed by NIH scale, but start date, equipment access, travel funding, and authorship agreements are negotiable. Confirm these in writing before accepting, because they shape your productivity and publication timeline.

Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are hiring the most postdoctoral researchers?

The companies hiring the most postdoctoral researchers right now include St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and University of Arizona, with the largest share of openings in Texas, California, and Pennsylvania, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Research universities and federally funded national laboratories consistently account for the largest volume of postdoc openings nationwide.

How many postdoctoral researcher jobs are remote?

About 16% of postdoctoral researcher openings are fully remote or hybrid as of August 2026, which is lower than most professional roles because bench science requires on-site lab access. Computational biology, bioinformatics, data science, and theoretical physics postdocs are the sub-areas most likely to offer remote or hybrid arrangements.

How do you become a postdoctoral researcher?

You become a postdoctoral researcher by completing a doctoral degree, identifying a PI whose research aligns with your expertise, and submitting a CV, cover letter, and research statement directly to that lab or through a formal institutional posting. Networking at conferences, reaching out to PIs whose papers you cite, and applying through university career offices are all standard entry points into postdoc positions.

Can you get a postdoctoral researcher role with no prior postdoc experience?

Yes, a postdoctoral position is itself the entry-level role in academic research, so no prior postdoc experience is required or expected. What matters is a completed PhD, a strong dissertation with at least one first-author manuscript, and a clear research proposal. Candidates who publish during their PhD and present at national conferences are consistently more competitive than those who wait until after graduation to begin applying.

What does the postdoctoral researcher interview process look like?

The postdoctoral researcher interview typically begins with a one-hour seminar presenting your doctoral research to the department, followed by individual meetings with the supervising PI, collaborating faculty, and current lab members. Some labs add an informal chalk talk where you outline a proposed project. The process usually concludes with a lab tour and a discussion of funding, timeline, and authorship expectations before an offer is made.

Where can I find and apply to postdoctoral researcher jobs?

You can find and apply to postdoctoral researcher jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from research universities, national laboratories, and industry sponsors across the United States. Find roles that match your field and career stage, then apply directly to each listing.

See All 382+ Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs