Biological Technicians
Biological Technicians (SOC 19-4021) earn a median $57,510 a year ($27.65 an hour) in the United States, with 69,620 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What biological technicians do
Biological technicians assist biologists and medical scientists in the laboratory and field. They set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect samples and data, make observations, and calculate and record results. Some analyze organic substances such as blood, food, and drugs. Typical tasks include conducting or assisting with research, including the collection of information and samples, using computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics, and other high-technology laboratory tools, monitoring and observing experiments and recording production and test data for scientists to review, and analyzing experimental data and interpreting results to write reports and summaries. The occupation differs from biological scientists, who plan the research and interpret results, from clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, who run diagnostic tests on patient specimens, and from agricultural and food science technicians, who work on farm and food products. They also keep detailed logs of their work, input data into databases, and isolate, identify, and prepare specimens for examination.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Artificial Breeding Technician, Aquatic Technician (Aquatic Tech), Aquatics Technician, Artificial Inseminator, Babcock Tester.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.39 | $23.14 | $27.65 | $34.39 | $40.84 | $29.51 | 69,620 |
| Annual | $40,330 | $48,130 | $57,510 | $71,520 | $84,940 | $61,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where biological technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.45 | $27.02 | $34.34 | $44.72 | $58.50 | $37.58 | 9,210 | 0.51 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $46,700 | $56,200 | $71,440 | $93,010 | $121,670 | $78,170 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $22.91 | $27.64 | $31.75 | $40.05 | $47.04 | $33.66 | 1,290 | 0.30 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $47,650 | $57,490 | $66,040 | $83,310 | $97,850 | $70,010 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $20.30 | $23.73 | $31.14 | $33.61 | $39.21 | $29.58 | 210 | 0.29 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $42,230 | $49,370 | $64,770 | $69,910 | $81,560 | $61,520 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $19.00 | $28.30 | $29.98 | $38.93 | $44.32 | $32.23 | 650 | 0.38 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $39,520 | $58,860 | $62,360 | $80,970 | $92,180 | $67,040 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $23.98 | $24.61 | $29.84 | $39.16 | $45.56 | $32.41 | 8,430 | 2.32 | 5.18 |
| Annual | $49,880 | $51,190 | $62,070 | $81,450 | $94,760 | $67,420 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.45 | $27.02 | $34.34 | $44.72 | $58.50 | $37.58 | 9,210 | 0.51 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $46,700 | $56,200 | $71,440 | $93,010 | $121,670 | $78,170 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $23.98 | $24.61 | $29.84 | $39.16 | $45.56 | $32.41 | 8,430 | 2.32 | 5.18 |
| Annual | $49,880 | $51,190 | $62,070 | $81,450 | $94,760 | $67,420 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $18.77 | $22.99 | $29.43 | $35.21 | $38.29 | $29.31 | 5,050 | 0.52 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $39,040 | $47,820 | $61,210 | $73,240 | $79,630 | $60,960 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $19.84 | $22.77 | $25.44 | $32.62 | $39.56 | $28.40 | 3,470 | 1.26 | 2.80 |
| Annual | $41,270 | $47,370 | $52,900 | $67,850 | $82,280 | $59,080 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.98 | $24.24 | $29.23 | $31.54 | $38.26 | $29.22 | 3,210 | 0.90 | 2.02 |
| Annual | $45,720 | $50,420 | $60,800 | $65,600 | $79,580 | $60,770 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $26.49 | $32.76 | $45.78 | $61.75 | $76.29 | $47.86 | 2,690 | 1.13 | 2.53 |
| Annual | $55,090 | $68,140 | $95,220 | $128,440 | $158,680 | $99,540 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $25.74 | $28.35 | $37.10 | $40.28 | $48.65 | $35.92 | 180 | 0.77 | 1.71 |
| Annual | $53,550 | $58,980 | $77,170 | $83,780 | $101,190 | $74,720 | ||||
| Tyler, TX | Hourly | $19.21 | $25.55 | $37.03 | $37.03 | $37.03 | $31.61 | 50 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $39,950 | $53,140 | $77,020 | $77,020 | $77,020 | $65,760 | ||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $19.35 | $23.79 | $36.24 | $48.90 | $60.97 | $37.62 | 110 | 0.56 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $40,240 | $49,480 | $75,390 | $101,710 | $126,810 | $78,260 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $26.12 | $28.02 | $35.07 | $45.40 | $54.78 | $37.92 | 790 | 0.70 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $54,320 | $58,270 | $72,940 | $94,430 | $113,930 | $78,870 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $24.08 | $24.61 | $29.62 | $39.03 | $45.65 | $32.49 | 7,320 | 2.71 | 6.05 |
| Annual | $50,090 | $51,190 | $61,610 | $81,170 | $94,960 | $67,590 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $19.83 | $25.57 | $30.18 | $36.39 | $41.70 | $31.34 | 3,270 | 0.35 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $41,240 | $53,180 | $62,780 | $75,680 | $86,730 | $65,190 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $26.49 | $32.76 | $45.78 | $61.75 | $76.29 | $47.86 | 2,690 | 1.13 | 2.53 |
| Annual | $55,090 | $68,140 | $95,220 | $128,440 | $158,680 | $99,540 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $24.20 | $24.25 | $30.66 | $35.30 | $39.10 | $30.68 | 2,020 | 0.97 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $50,340 | $50,440 | $63,770 | $73,430 | $81,330 | $63,810 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $22.61 | $24.08 | $29.15 | $37.49 | $39.58 | $30.06 | 1,950 | 0.67 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $47,040 | $50,080 | $60,630 | $77,980 | $82,320 | $62,530 | ||||
Top industries employing biological technicians
Scientific Research and Development Services employ 36.0% of biological technicians nationally (25,090 jobs) at a median $62,060 a year ($29.84 an hour), followed by Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (19.1%) and Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (9.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 25,090 | 36.0% | $62,060 | $29.84 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 13,270 | 19.1% | $53,560 | $25.75 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 6,440 | 9.3% | $52,210 | $25.10 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing NAICS 325400 | 6,320 | 9.1% | $63,190 | $30.38 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 4,060 | 5.8% | $50,580 | $24.32 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (69,620). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,140 for biological technicians in May 2021 and $57,510 in May 2025, with employment of 76,150 and 69,620.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,140 | $23.15 | 76,150 |
| May 2022 | $49,650 | $23.87 | 73,710 |
| May 2023 | $51,430 | $24.73 | 76,990 |
| May 2024 | $52,000 | $25.00 | 76,190 |
| May 2025 | $57,510 | $27.65 | 69,620 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $34.34 | $71,440 | $46,700 | $121,670 | 9,210 | 0.51 | 1.13 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $31.75 | $66,040 | $47,650 | $97,850 | 1,290 | 0.30 | 0.67 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $31.14 | $64,770 | $42,230 | $81,560 | 210 | 0.29 | 0.66 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $29.98 | $62,360 | $39,520 | $92,180 | 650 | 0.38 | 0.85 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $29.84 | $62,070 | $49,880 | $94,760 | 8,430 | 2.32 | 5.18 |
| 6 | North Carolina profile | $29.67 | $61,720 | $41,300 | $79,070 | 2,460 | 0.50 | 1.11 |
| 7 | New York profile | $29.43 | $61,210 | $39,040 | $79,630 | 5,050 | 0.52 | 1.16 |
| 8 | Washington profile | $29.23 | $60,800 | $45,720 | $79,580 | 3,210 | 0.90 | 2.02 |
| 9 | Maine profile | $28.92 | $60,160 | $46,450 | $79,510 | 510 | 0.80 | 1.78 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $28.56 | $59,400 | $49,480 | $79,380 | 1,990 | 0.69 | 1.55 |
| 11 | Indiana profile | $28.26 | $58,790 | $45,140 | $84,900 | 1,020 | 0.32 | 0.71 |
| 12 | Delaware profile | $28.15 | $58,550 | $44,570 | $77,910 | 180 | 0.37 | 0.82 |
| 13 | Mississippi profile | $27.37 | $56,930 | $38,550 | $79,440 | 330 | 0.29 | 0.64 |
| 14 | Alaska profile | $27.15 | $56,470 | $44,720 | $76,860 | 410 | 1.26 | 2.82 |
| 15 | Illinois profile | $26.82 | $55,790 | $36,230 | $79,440 | 790 | 0.13 | 0.29 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $26.70 | $55,540 | $41,410 | $77,860 | 240 | 0.35 | 0.78 |
| 17 | North Dakota profile | $26.60 | $55,330 | $44,950 | $69,150 | 250 | 0.57 | 1.28 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.42 | $54,950 | $43,270 | $80,530 | 2,820 | 0.47 | 1.04 |
| 19 | Virginia profile | $25.65 | $53,360 | $40,330 | $79,470 | 1,820 | 0.44 | 0.99 |
| 20 | Arizona profile | $25.62 | $53,290 | $44,040 | $81,960 | 830 | 0.26 | 0.57 |
| 21 | South Carolina profile | $25.50 | $53,040 | $35,710 | $74,890 | 550 | 0.24 | 0.53 |
| 22 | Utah profile | $25.46 | $52,960 | $40,330 | $82,500 | 710 | 0.41 | 0.91 |
| 23 | Maryland profile | $25.44 | $52,900 | $41,270 | $82,280 | 3,470 | 1.26 | 2.80 |
| 24 | Georgia profile | $25.20 | $52,420 | $42,940 | $72,420 | 860 | 0.18 | 0.39 |
| 25 | Oregon profile | $25.09 | $52,190 | $40,330 | $73,740 | 1,590 | 0.81 | 1.81 |
| 26 | Wisconsin profile | $24.88 | $51,750 | $40,330 | $73,570 | 1,800 | 0.61 | 1.37 |
| 27 | Nevada profile | $24.85 | $51,680 | $37,620 | $65,930 | 280 | 0.18 | 0.40 |
| 28 | Kansas profile | $24.82 | $51,630 | $36,700 | $82,650 | 480 | 0.33 | 0.74 |
| 29 | West Virginia profile | $24.73 | $51,440 | $41,620 | $90,900 | 100 | 0.15 | 0.33 |
| 30 | Vermont profile | $24.61 | $51,190 | $44,390 | $64,890 | 220 | 0.73 | 1.62 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $24.56 | $51,080 | $36,400 | $79,490 | 2,240 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| 32 | Michigan profile | $24.55 | $51,070 | $38,900 | $67,870 | 1,160 | 0.26 | 0.59 |
| 33 | Tennessee profile | $24.44 | $50,840 | $41,440 | $80,330 | 1,240 | 0.38 | 0.85 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $24.35 | $50,640 | $38,800 | $74,600 | 620 | 0.21 | 0.47 |
| 35 | Texas profile | $24.10 | $50,130 | $36,960 | $80,600 | 2,730 | 0.19 | 0.43 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $24.00 | $49,920 | $40,330 | $64,980 | 430 | 0.84 | 1.88 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $23.83 | $49,570 | $40,330 | $61,610 | 140 | 0.16 | 0.35 |
| 38 | Alabama profile | $23.66 | $49,220 | $35,610 | $62,230 | 270 | 0.13 | 0.28 |
| 39 | Kentucky profile | $23.52 | $48,910 | $35,280 | $73,040 | 260 | 0.13 | 0.29 |
| 40 | Hawaii profile | $23.45 | $48,770 | $36,090 | $63,520 | 830 | 1.33 | 2.96 |
| 41 | Florida profile | $23.41 | $48,700 | $36,050 | $78,130 | 3,170 | 0.32 | 0.71 |
| 42 | Nebraska profile | $23.18 | $48,220 | $35,380 | $67,200 | 600 | 0.59 | 1.32 |
| 43 | Minnesota profile | $23.14 | $48,130 | $40,940 | $73,280 | 1,400 | 0.48 | 1.06 |
| 44 | Iowa profile | $23.10 | $48,050 | $39,310 | $72,510 | 800 | 0.51 | 1.15 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $23.01 | $47,850 | $38,990 | $75,360 | 360 | 0.21 | 0.47 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | $22.74 | $47,310 | $32,390 | $77,400 | 190 | 0.10 | 0.22 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | $22.56 | $46,930 | $34,920 | $73,750 | 420 | 0.32 | 0.71 |
| 48 | Wyoming profile | $22.35 | $46,480 | $40,330 | $62,980 | 190 | 0.69 | 1.53 |
| 49 | Rhode Island profile | $21.89 | $45,530 | $43,830 | $79,060 | 140 | 0.28 | 0.63 |
| 50 | Idaho profile | $20.25 | $42,130 | $36,030 | $59,010 | 450 | 0.52 | 1.16 |
| 51 | South Dakota profile | $19.86 | $41,300 | $38,170 | $56,620 | 230 | 0.49 | 1.10 |
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 19-4021 Biological Technicians.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 19-4021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-4021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.