Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
19-4021 Biological Technicians
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.
National estimates for Biological Technicians
Industry profile for Biological Technicians
Geographic profile for Biological Technicians
National estimates for Biological Technicians:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Biological Technicians:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 80,640 |
3.0 % |
$ 23.79 |
$ 49,490 |
0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Biological Technicians:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.63 |
$ 17.44 |
$ 22.28 |
$ 28.91 |
$ 35.87 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 30,440 |
$ 36,280 |
$ 46,340 |
$ 60,130 |
$ 74,600 |
Industry profile for Biological Technicians:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Biological Technicians are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Biological Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Biological Technicians:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
28,080 |
3.73 |
$ 25.52 |
$ 53,070 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
17,800 |
0.59 |
$ 22.73 |
$ 47,280 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
8,160 |
0.39 |
$ 21.47 |
$ 44,660 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
6,050 |
0.11 |
$ 24.58 |
$ 51,120 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
4,740 |
1.59 |
$ 25.31 |
$ 52,640 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Biological Technicians:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
28,080 |
3.73 |
$ 25.52 |
$ 53,070 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
4,740 |
1.59 |
$ 25.31 |
$ 52,640 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
17,800 |
0.59 |
$ 22.73 |
$ 47,280 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories |
1,240 |
0.45 |
$ 21.16 |
$ 44,020 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
8,160 |
0.39 |
$ 21.47 |
$ 44,660 |
Top paying industries for Biological Technicians:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
170 |
0.04 |
$ 28.09 |
$ 58,440 |
| Outpatient Care Centers |
50 |
0.01 |
$ 26.85 |
$ 55,850 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
28,080 |
3.73 |
$ 25.52 |
$ 53,070 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
4,740 |
1.59 |
$ 25.31 |
$ 52,640 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
900 |
0.02 |
$ 24.96 |
$ 51,920 |
Geographic profile for Biological Technicians:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Biological Technicians are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Biological Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Biological Technicians:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
8,600 |
0.52 |
0.90 |
$ 26.21 |
$ 54,510 |
| Texas |
6,070 |
0.50 |
0.87 |
$ 25.04 |
$ 52,080 |
| Massachusetts |
5,560 |
1.66 |
2.86 |
$ 28.55 |
$ 59,390 |
| Ohio |
4,160 |
0.81 |
1.40 |
$ 23.03 |
$ 47,910 |
| Pennsylvania |
4,110 |
0.75 |
1.29 |
$ 24.01 |
$ 49,940 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Biological Technicians:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Oregon |
3,040 |
1.68 |
2.91 |
$ 21.69 |
$ 45,120 |
| Massachusetts |
5,560 |
1.66 |
2.86 |
$ 28.55 |
$ 59,390 |
| Idaho |
1,050 |
1.46 |
2.52 |
$ 17.19 |
$ 35,760 |
| Maryland |
3,670 |
1.46 |
2.51 |
$ 24.53 |
$ 51,010 |
| Hawaii |
780 |
1.36 |
2.35 |
$ 19.31 |
$ 40,170 |
Top paying states for Biological Technicians:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Connecticut |
800 |
0.52 |
0.89 |
$ 32.86 |
$ 68,360 |
| Massachusetts |
5,560 |
1.66 |
2.86 |
$ 28.55 |
$ 59,390 |
| New Jersey |
2,200 |
0.58 |
1.01 |
$ 28.12 |
$ 58,500 |
| Arkansas |
340 |
0.29 |
0.50 |
$ 26.65 |
$ 55,430 |
| Illinois |
1,830 |
0.32 |
0.56 |
$ 26.28 |
$ 54,670 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Biological Technicians:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,740 |
1.82 |
3.14 |
$ 28.47 |
$ 59,210 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
3,570 |
0.40 |
0.70 |
$ 27.29 |
$ 56,770 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
3,130 |
1.05 |
1.82 |
$ 23.68 |
$ 49,250 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
2,440 |
1.68 |
2.89 |
$ 21.55 |
$ 44,810 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
2,260 |
0.84 |
1.45 |
$ 26.05 |
$ 54,180 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
2,150 |
0.37 |
0.64 |
$ 23.87 |
$ 49,650 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
2,110 |
1.08 |
1.86 |
$ 24.65 |
$ 51,280 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
2,090 |
1.83 |
3.16 |
$ 22.71 |
$ 47,230 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,880 |
0.62 |
1.07 |
$ 28.91 |
$ 60,120 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
1,820 |
0.42 |
0.72 |
$ 25.96 |
$ 54,000 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Biological Technicians:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA |
550 |
6.49 |
11.20 |
$ 26.79 |
$ 55,720 |
| Ames, IA |
210 |
4.89 |
8.44 |
$ 25.29 |
$ 52,600 |
| Iowa City, IA |
370 |
4.33 |
7.46 |
$ 21.88 |
$ 45,510 |
| Logan, UT-ID |
150 |
2.60 |
4.49 |
$ 16.09 |
$ 33,470 |
| Gainesville, FL |
330 |
2.39 |
4.12 |
$ 20.44 |
$ 42,520 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
710 |
2.29 |
3.94 |
$ 24.25 |
$ 50,440 |
| Ann Arbor, MI |
410 |
1.96 |
3.37 |
$ 21.12 |
$ 43,920 |
| Worcester, MA-CT |
520 |
1.95 |
3.36 |
$ 24.52 |
$ 51,000 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
2,090 |
1.83 |
3.16 |
$ 22.71 |
$ 47,230 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,740 |
1.82 |
3.14 |
$ 28.47 |
$ 59,210 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Biological Technicians:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New Haven, CT |
460 |
1.70 |
2.93 |
$ 33.54 |
$ 69,760 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
1,340 |
1.22 |
2.10 |
$ 32.26 |
$ 67,100 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,690 |
0.47 |
0.81 |
$ 30.74 |
$ 63,930 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT |
170 |
0.31 |
0.53 |
$ 30.29 |
$ 63,010 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
170 |
1.30 |
2.25 |
$ 29.30 |
$ 60,940 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,720 |
0.74 |
1.27 |
$ 29.07 |
$ 60,470 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,880 |
0.62 |
1.07 |
$ 28.91 |
$ 60,120 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,740 |
1.82 |
3.14 |
$ 28.47 |
$ 59,210 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
180 |
0.18 |
0.31 |
$ 28.13 |
$ 58,500 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
40 |
0.19 |
0.32 |
$ 28.08 |
$ 58,410 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Biological Technicians:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Biological Technicians:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Biological Technicians:
About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021
United States Department of Labor
