# Microbiologists

SOC 19-1022. Page: https://educationguide.com/careers/microbiologists

Investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Includes medical microbiologists who study the relationship between organisms and disease or the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.

## Pay and outlook
- U.S. median wage $87,990 (middle half $67,100–$122,350; BLS May 2025)
- Jobs 2025-35: 6.2%; ~1.5k openings a year; typical entry: Bachelor's degree

## Fields of degree of young workers (ages 25-34, bachelor's+)

## Median wage by state
- AK: $76,320
- AL: $65,690
- AR: $59,750
- AZ: $69,880
- CA: $108,530
- CO: $81,640
- CT: $86,360
- DE: $82,770
- FL: $80,930
- GA: $103,070
- HI: $70,970
- IA: $79,830
- ID: $65,940
- IL: $92,050
- IN: $77,900
- KS: $70,500
- KY: $66,500
- MA: $122,350
- MD: $108,470
- MI: $78,680
- MN: $83,400
- MO: $78,590
- MS: $61,690
- MT: $87,750
- NC: $85,860
- NE: $72,470
- NH: $79,430
- NJ: $96,020
- NV: $64,490
- NY: $81,090
- OH: $72,500
- OR: $89,220
- PA: $84,650
- PR: $63,680
- SC: $64,740
- SD: $70,530
- TN: $77,630
- TX: $66,450
- UT: $72,600
- VA: $77,820
- WA: $77,690
- WI: $67,100
- WV: $68,550

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#careers

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0). O*NET data: CC BY 4.0, O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA).