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Honey Bee Lab Student Technician

Oregon State University

Oregon State University

Oregon, USA · Corvallis, OR, USA
USD 15.05-21.5 / hour
Posted on Feb 21, 2026
Position Information
Job Title Honey Bee Lab Student Technician
Appointment Type Student Employee
Job Location Corvallis
Position Appointment Percent 100
Appointment Basis 12
Pay Method Hourly
Pay Period 16th - 15th of the following month
Pay Date Last working day of the month
Remote or Hybrid option?
Min Hourly Rate $15.05 (Standard); $14.05 (Non-Urban); $16.30 (Portland Metro)
Max Hourly Rate $21.50 (Standard); $19.50 (Non-Urban); $22.00 (Portland Metro)
Position Summary
This recruitment will be used to fill up to 2 part-time (up to 20 hours per week during the academic terms and up to 40 hours per week during academic breaks) student worker positions in the Honey Bee Lab for the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University (OSU).

Employees will support honey bee diagnostic work and honey bee research projects related to honey bee health, nutrition and pollination. They will perform routine to complex technical or specialized tasks, including but not limited to laboratory research, field research, data collection, data entry and the care and maintenance of bees. Position duties will vary depending on season.

Applicants will be contacted as positions become available. Start dates and hours/week may vary, depending on needs.
Transferable Skill Development
OSU is committed to ensuring students are prepared for success after graduation through intentional skill development as student employees. The competencies students develop while working at OSU are defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) as the essential skills employers seek in their hires. In this position, students learn and build vital career-readiness skills in the primary areas below:

Communication, Critical Thinking, Teamwork, Career & Self-Development
Position Duties
45% Fieldwork:
  • Collect samples from university apiaries and beekeeping operations in Oregon
  • Assist with colony evaluations, and manipulate experimental colonies as directed
  • Assist with maintenance of honey bee colonies: inspect for well-being; feed and monitor for pests/disease; and assist in solving management problems
  • Assist with experiments in honey bee-pollinated crops: trap pollen from hives, manipulate plants and flowers as needed, harvest fruit
  • Operate a motor vehicle to transport hives, equipment, etc. to and from research sites
  • Successfully complete and maintain appropriate farm, lab and greenhouse safety training and certifications.
40% Assist in laboratory:
  • Perform mite counts and Nosema spore counts on honey bee samples
  • Prepare samples for analysis, mark bees, assist with the care of caged bees
  • Perform acetolysis on pollen samples
  • Analyze videos for honey bee behavior and/or queen emergence
  • Assist with various other assays and measurements of research samples
  • Enter data into spreadsheets
10% Maintain and organize lab and storage space, field equipment, and apiary grounds.
5% Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
  • Must be academically enrolled in a high school, community college, or university and pursuing a program or course of study
  • Must meet Academic Standing Requirements; students on academic suspension are not eligible for employment
  • Must meet the applicable minimal enrollment standard
    • High School student: Regularly enrolled in a high school or participating in a home-schooling program
    • Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate student: 6 credit hours per term
    • Undergraduate international student: 12 credit hours per term*
    • Graduate student officially admitted to Graduate School: 5 credit hours per term
    • Graduate international student officially admitted to Graduate School: 9 credit hours per term*

*International students may be allowed to carry fewer hours than specified above and still be considered “full-time” by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A reduced course load is approved by the Office of International Services (OIS), and must be provided to the Student Employment Center.
Additional Required Qualifications
  • Ability to maneuver up to 50 pounds
  • Physical ability to handle live honey bees (Must be capable of opening honey bee hives and collecting samples from the hives.)
  • Ability to work in a bee suit in hot weather
  • Ability to perform the same task repeatedly for extended periods in the lab and field
  • Ability to bend, stoop and kneel as needed to care for and collect samples from honey bee colonies
  • Must be willing to work on weekends or after regular working hours occasionally
Preferred (Special) Qualifications
  • Experience using scientific lab instruments such as microscopes, autoclaves, centrifuges, pipettes, and hemocytometers
  • Experience working in Microsoft Excel
  • Ability to identify worker, queen, and drone honey bees
  • Ability to recognize Varroa mite infestations in honey bee colonies
  • Ability to recognize strong and weak honey bee colonies
Working Conditions / Work Schedule
  • This position is primarily located on the OSU main campus in Corvallis, OR, where work is performed in a typical laboratory and outdoors at university apiaries.
  • Some work may involve travel to commercial beekeeper hives around the state of Oregon.
  • Will have exposure to unpleasant odors, smokers, live bees, and bee stings.
  • May be exposed to extreme weather conditions.
  • Will be required to maneuver up to 50 lbs. and may be required to stoop, bend and kneel as necessary to provide care for live bees.
  • Flexible hours as needed to complete experiments/projects. Hours may fluctuate due to varying needs.
  • Students will be asked to work 30-40 hours per week during the 2025 summer months.
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number P12856SE
Number of Vacancies 2
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date 03/17/2026
Anticipated Appointment End Date
Posting Date 02/19/2026
Full Consideration Date
Closing Date 02/27/2026
Indicate how you intend to recruit for this search Competitive / Student - open to ALL qualified/eligible students
Special Instructions to Applicants
When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:
1. A Resume/Vita
2. A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position

For additional information please contact: Hannah Lucas at hannah.lucas@oregonstate.edu

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.

This position requires driving a University vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the University; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Motor Vehicle History Check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions (as per Voluntary and Compulsory Driver Standards OSU Standard 125-155-0200) as per OSU Standard 576-056-0000 et seq.

Note: All job offers are contingent upon Human Resources final approval.
OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire.
See more open positions at Oregon State University
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