Members of the genus Arthrobacter are high G+C, gram positive bacteria and are prevalent in many soils. Arthrobacter species are found in extreme environments, such as the arctic sea, under leaking radioactive waste tanks, and in distilled water.

The genus is comprised of over 60 different species which are taxonomically clustered into the bacterial family Micrococcaceae that include the genera Citrococcus, Kocuria, Micrococcus, Renibacterium, Nesterenkonia, and Rothia.

Members of the genus Arthrobacter show a life cycle characterized by cell morphological changes, converting from rod to V-shaped and coccus forms, and back to rod shapes.

Arthrobacter strains are metabolically diverse, and are capable of catabolizing a variety of xenobiotic compounds, including glyphosate, methyl tert-butyl ether, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D), nictotine, 4-nitrophenol, dimethylsilanediol, fluorene, phthalate, nitroglycerine and diverse s-triazine compounds. Of the 328 microorganism (encompassing 83 bacterial genera) in The University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database. Arthrobacter sp. strains are the third most abundant in catalogued biotransformation reactions, exceeded only by Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus sp. strains.

Due to their metabolic diversity, Arthrobacter species have been used in industrial applications and are currently being used in the bioremediation of contaminated groundwater.