Biological Technicians Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for biological technicianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $61,380 ≈ $30/hr
National median salary $57,510
Total employment 69,620 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +3.5% About as fast as average
Annual openings 9,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 82,700 → 85,600 (+2,900)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. California$78,170
  2. New Jersey$70,010
  3. Massachusetts$67,420
  4. Connecticut$67,040
  5. Indiana$63,350

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Idaho$45,870
  2. South Dakota$46,460
  3. Alabama$48,940
  4. Hawaii$49,080
  5. Louisiana$49,770
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 California $78,170 $71,440 $38 +27.4% 9,210
2 New Jersey $70,010 $66,040 $34 +14.1% 1,290
3 Massachusetts $67,420 $62,070 $32 +9.8% 8,430
4 Connecticut $67,040 $62,360 $32 +9.2% 650
5 Indiana $63,350 $58,790 $30 +3.2% 1,020
6 Colorado $63,180 $59,400 $30 +2.9% 1,990
7 District of Columbia $61,520 $64,770 $30 +0.2% 210
8 New York $60,960 $61,210 $29 -0.7% 5,050
9 Washington $60,770 $60,800 $29 -1% 3,210
10 North Carolina $60,370 $61,720 $29 -1.6% 2,460
11 Maine $59,680 $60,160 $29 -2.8% 510
12 Pennsylvania $59,630 $54,950 $29 -2.9% 2,820
13 Delaware $59,440 $58,550 $29 -3.2% 180
14 Maryland $59,080 $52,900 $28 -3.7% 3,470
15 Arizona $59,050 $53,290 $28 -3.8% 830

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 221 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $95,220 $99,540 2,690
2 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $77,170 $74,720 180
3 Tyler, TX $77,020 $65,760 50
4 Boulder, CO $75,390 $78,260 110
5 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $72,940 $78,870 790
6 Peoria, IL $72,120 $66,410 50
7 Worcester, MA $69,730 $68,590 740
8 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $67,060 $69,330 1,770
9 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $66,610 $71,110 1,830
10 Charlottesville, VA $66,590 $62,620 280

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing biological technicianss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Computer Systems Design and Related Services $100,160 $98,290
2 Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned $65,970 $64,770 230
3 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing $65,930 $68,700 70
4 Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing $65,810 $67,900 70
5 Junior Colleges $65,110 $64,240 240
6 Management of Companies and Enterprises $64,810 $65,490 250
7 Management of Companies and Enterprises $64,810 $65,490 250
8 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $64,810 $65,490 250
9 Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) $63,440 $64,010 190
10 Chemical Manufacturing $63,190 $72,530 6,570
11 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing $63,190 $72,970 6,320
12 Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing $63,080 $71,920 6,990

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
8,035
$10-20k
2,272
$20-30k
3,141
$30-40k
4,500
$40-50k
4,545
$50-60k
4,658
$60-70k
4,918
$70-80k
2,508
$80-90k
2,163
$90-100k
1,293
$100-110k
248
$110-120k
195
$120-130k
265
$130-140k
41
$140-150k
63
$160-170k
418
$180-190k
220
$200k+
659

Pay by age band

16-24
$24,623
25-34
$53,526
35-44
$67,721
45-54
$56,175
55-64
$52,883
65+
$35,403

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$57,244
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$36,540
Regular high school diploma
$36,672
Associates Degree
$40,052
Some college, but less than 1 year
$46,739
Masters Degree
$70,000
GED or alternative credential
$44,463
No schooling completed
$38,991
Doctorate degree
$58,644
Grade 9
$24,082
12th grade - no diploma
$40,781
Nursery school, preschool
$76,464
Grade 11
$50,976
Grade 7
$40,781
Grade 10
$2,039

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
29,437 · $61,679
Part-time
2,901 · $20,362

Race / ethnicity

White
$46,454
Asian
$60,261
Two or More Races
$42,227
Other
$63,772
Black
$39,474
American Indian
$34,724
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$59,841

Top fields of study

Biology
$58,566
Natural Resources Management
$40,972
Marketing And Marketing Research
$61,759
Ecology
$52,641
Biochemical Sciences
$128,140
Nutrition Sciences
$81,176
Microbiology
$49,592
General Engineering
$60,180

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Reading Comprehension
4.0
Critical Thinking
3.9
Active Listening
3.8
Science
3.8
Active Learning
3.5
Writing
3.4
Speaking
3.3
Monitoring
3.3
Complex Problem Solving
3.3
Judgment and Decision Making
3.1
Mathematics
3.0
Operations Monitoring
3.0

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do biological technicians make in the U.S.?

The median biological technicians salary in the United States is $57,510 per year (mean $61,380), and about 80% earn between $40,330 and $84,940.

How much do biological technicians make per hour?

Roughly $30 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $61,380 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays biological technicians the most?

California has the highest average pay for biological technicians at $78,170 per year (median $71,440).

What is the job outlook for biological technicians?

Employment is projected to change +3.5% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 9,100 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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