New Graduates & Entry Level
New Graduate Guide to
New Graduate Guide to
Bioinformatics Careers
Just completed your MS/PhD or have less than 2 years of experience? Here's your roadmap to landing a job at top biotech and pharma companies.
Entry-Level Salary Reality in Bioinformatics
Academic Postdoc
$55-65K
Universities, NIH
Small Biotech
$70-90K
Startups, CROs
Mid-size Biotech
$90-110K
10x Genomics, BioMarin
Big Pharma
$100-130K
Pfizer, Moderna, Genentech
Companies by Difficulty Level:
🟢
Easier Entry Point
Great for your first product company job. Less competitive, still great learning.
Typical Salary:
₹8-15 LPA
Interview Rounds:
3-4 rounds
DSA Difficulty:
Easy-Medium LeetCode
🟡
Medium Difficulty
Great brands, reasonable interview bar. Needs solid DSA preparation.
Typical Salary:
₹12-20 LPA
Interview Rounds:
4-5 rounds
DSA Difficulty:
Medium LeetCode
🟠
Competitive
Top unicorns with rigorous interviews. Needs 3-4 months of dedicated prep.
Typical Salary:
₹15-25 LPA
Interview Rounds:
5-6 rounds
DSA Difficulty:
Medium-Hard LeetCode
🔴
Very Competitive (FAANG+)
Dream companies. Highly competitive, often need referrals. Worth the effort!
Typical Salary:
₹20-35 LPA
Interview Rounds:
5-7 rounds
DSA Difficulty:
Medium-Hard LeetCode + System Design
How to Prepare as a Fresher
3-Month Preparation Plan
For Tier 1 & Tier 2 companies
1
Month 1: DSA Basics
Arrays, Strings, Hash Maps, Two Pointers. Solve 50 easy problems.
2
Month 2: Core DSA
Trees, Graphs, DP basics. Solve 50 medium problems.
3
Month 3: Practice + Apply
Mock interviews, company-specific prep, start applying.
6-Month Preparation Plan
For Tier 3 & Tier 4 (FAANG)
1-2
DSA Foundation
All data structures, 100 problems (easy + medium).
3-4
Advanced DSA + Projects
DP, Graphs, Backtracking. Build 1-2 projects.
5-6
System Design + Applications
LLD basics, mock interviews, company applications.
Pro Tips for Freshers
💡 Do This
- ✓ Start with Tier 1 companies for confidence
- ✓ Build 1-2 real projects (not todo apps)
- ✓ Practice explaining your thought process aloud
- ✓ Get referrals via LinkedIn connections
- ✓ Apply to 20-30 companies, not just 2-3
⚠️ Avoid This
- ✗ Don't only target FAANG - you'll get demotivated
- ✗ Don't memorize solutions without understanding
- ✗ Don't skip easy problems - they build patterns
- ✗ Don't ignore behavioral preparation
- ✗ Don't wait until you're "ready" - start applying
Free Resources
Ready to Start Your Product Journey?
Every senior engineer at Google once started as a fresher. Your time is now.