How much does a biology technician make?
Answer: A typical biology technician in the United States makes $57,510 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 70,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Biology technician pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,330 | $57,510 | $84,940 | about 70,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $71,440 | about 9,000 |
| New Jersey | $66,040 | about 1,000 |
| Connecticut | $62,360 | about 650 |
| Massachusetts | $62,070 | about 8,000 |
| North Carolina | $61,720 | about 2,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience and skill, the employer or industry, and location can all affect pay. Local demand and living costs can matter too.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a biology technician do?
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.
What's a typical day like?
They set up microscopes and pipettes, prepare blood or bacteria samples, and run tests under a scientist’s supervision. They watch experiments, record results, and clean the equipment.
How to get this job
In the U.S., most earn a biology-related bachelor’s degree and get lab experience in school. Some jobs accept less schooling with lab experience; animal-care roles may need certification, and workers often start in their early 20s.
Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)
Good for people who like keeping things organized and building and doing.
Did you know?
Some biology technicians leave the lab to collect wildlife samples, hiking rugged terrain in wilderness areas and facing harsh weather.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Life, Physical, and Social Science jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biological-technicians.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-4021.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/earnings.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY