Biological Technicians: salary, outlook & degrees
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.
Middle half $48,130–$71,520. 69,620 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
67% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $60,915.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 9,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 28% | Biology |
| Environmental Science | 8% | Environmental Science / Conservation |
| Biochemical Sciences | 5% | Biochemistry |
| Miscellaneous Biology | 5% | — |
| Microbiology | 4% | Microbiological Sciences and Immunology |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 4% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Molecular Biology | 3% | Neuroscience · Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences |
| Chemistry | 3% | Chemistry |
| Natural Resources Management | 3% | Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy · Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management |
| Ecology | 3% | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| California | $71,440 |
| New Jersey | $66,040 |
| District of Columbia | $64,770 |
| Connecticut | $62,360 |
| Massachusetts | $62,070 |
| North Carolina | $61,720 |
| New York | $61,210 |
| Washington | $60,800 |
| Maine | $60,160 |
| Colorado | $59,400 |
| Indiana | $58,790 |
| Delaware | $58,550 |
| Mississippi | $56,930 |
| Alaska | $56,470 |
| Illinois | $55,790 |
| New Hampshire | $55,540 |
| North Dakota | $55,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,950 |
| Virginia | $53,360 |
| Arizona | $53,290 |
| South Carolina | $53,040 |
| Utah | $52,960 |
| Maryland | $52,900 |
| Georgia | $52,420 |
| Oregon | $52,190 |
| Wisconsin | $51,750 |
| Nevada | $51,680 |
| Kansas | $51,630 |
| West Virginia | $51,440 |
| Vermont | $51,190 |
| Ohio | $51,080 |
| Michigan | $51,070 |
| Tennessee | $50,840 |
| Missouri | $50,640 |
| Texas | $50,130 |
| Montana | $49,920 |
| New Mexico | $49,570 |
| Alabama | $49,220 |
| Kentucky | $48,910 |
| Hawaii | $48,770 |
| Florida | $48,700 |
| Nebraska | $48,220 |
| Minnesota | $48,130 |
| Iowa | $48,050 |
| Oklahoma | $47,850 |
| Louisiana | $47,310 |
| Arkansas | $46,930 |
| PR | $46,630 |
| Wyoming | $46,480 |
| Rhode Island | $45,530 |
| GU | $44,950 |
| Idaho | $42,130 |
| South Dakota | $41,300 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$52,570
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$49,180
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$45,290
- Jacksonville$51,560
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$36,050
- Gainesville$49,940
- Port St. Lucie$62,070
- Naples-Marco Island$59,170
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$63,510
- Richmond$65,210
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$51,710
- Charlottesville$66,590
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$48,600
- Roanoke$55,520
California metro areas
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$95,220
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$66,610
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$67,060
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$72,940
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$64,410
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$60,470
- Fresno$46,450
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$58,240
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Biology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Integrity
People in this job tend to have Conventional (organizing), Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Biological Technicians: questions
How much do biological Technicians make?
Biological Technicians earn a U.S. median $57,510 a year; the middle half earn $48,130 to $71,520 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $55,839 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is biological Technicians a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a biological Technician?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 69% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (28%).
How much do biological Technicians make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $48,700 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $57,510 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 19-4021. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Biological Technicians: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/biological-technicians.