Occupation salary profile

Biological Technicians

SOC 19-4021 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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 median · BLS
$57,510
▲ +10.6% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$56,996
▼ -0.08% YoY · 770 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$61,380
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
69,620
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Biological Technicians

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 770 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$40,330$45,000
25th$48,130$50,000
Median (50th)$57,510$56,996
75th$71,520$68,152
90th — top pay$84,940$79,581
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $56,996 for Biological Technicians — 0.9% below the BLS national median of $57,510.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Biological Technicians

BLS projects employment of biological technicians to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 9,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
74,400 → 79,900
+5,500 jobs
Projected change
+7.4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
9,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $56,996
Change vs prior year -0.08%
After inflation (CPI-U) -3.11%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 246 31.9% $44,500 $50,000 $54,999
Level II 262 34% $50,206 $55,729 $63,762
Level III 138 17.9% $60,000 $65,908 $75,066
Level IV 82 10.6% $63,940 $74,160 $82,594
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Biological Technicians

The 15 most-filed job titles inside SOC 19-4021, from 770 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Research Associate 93 12.08% $48,984 $53,000 $68,675 -8.62%
Research Assistant 80 10.39% $48,739 $53,276 $56,792 +5.41%
Research Specialist 60 7.79% $48,954 $53,283 $60,933 +0.53%
Research Technician 53 6.88% $45,448 $52,000 $60,237 +5.19%
Research Technologist 33 4.29% $58,406 $62,525 $70,866 +2.17%
Staff Research Associate 18 2.34% $72,768 $77,804 $82,477 -1.51%
Postdoctoral Associate 17 2.21% $63,424 $67,284 $72,768 +3%
Associate Scientist 14 1.82% $63,563 $68,060 $86,524 +11.57%
Scientist generic 14 1.82% $46,554 $50,000 $60,000 -9.09%
Lab Technician 14 1.82% $47,678 $59,500 $70,000 —
Associate Researcher 11 1.43% $61,200 $65,529 $70,880 +9.22%
Biological Technician 11 1.43% $44,616 $52,000 $56,000 -12.28%
Laboratory Research Technician 10 1.3% $40,000 $43,000 $51,188 +8.2%
Technician, Biomanufacturing, Downstream/mRNA 10 1.3% $54,080 $54,080 $54,080 —
Postdoctoral Research Associate 10 1.3% $74,160 $74,160 $74,160 +3%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Biological Technicians

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Science3.8
  • Active Learning3.5
  • Writing3.5
  • Monitoring3.4
  • Speaking3.4
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Biology4.8
  • English Language3.9
  • Computers and Electronics3.5
  • Chemistry3.4
  • Mathematics3.2
  • Administrative2.7
  • Education and Training2.6
  • Engineering and Technology2.6
Software and technology used
Microsoft .NET FrameworkMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareAdobe AcrobatAdobe PhotoshopESRI ArcGIS softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft WordSASBD Biosciences CellQuestBoxShadeClustalWCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteDatabase softwareGene Codes Sequencher

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What biological technicians do

  • Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
  • Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel.
  • Examine animals and specimens to detect the presence of disease or other problems.
  • Input data into databases.
  • Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
  • Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
  • Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
  • Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
Also called
Biological Science Lab Tech (Biological Science Laboratory Technician)Biological Science Technician (Biological Science Tech)Research AssistantResearch AssociateBiologist AideBiologist Technician (Biologist Tech)Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech)Fisheries Biological Technician (Fisheries Biological Tech)Marine Fisheries Technician (Marine Fisheries Tech)Microbiology Technician (Microbiology Tech)
More job titles for this occupation (33)
Aquatic Technician (Aquatic Tech)Aquatics Technician (Aquatics Tech)Artificial Breeding Lab Tech (Artificial Breeding Laboratory Technician)Artificial Breeding Technician (Artificial Breeding Tech)Artificial InseminatorBabcock TesterBacteriology Research AssistantBacteriology Technician (Bacteriology Tech)Biochemistry Technician (Biochemistry Tech)Biological AideBiological Field Technician (Biological Field Tech)Biological Research Technician (Biological Research Tech)Biological Science AideBiology Laboratory Assistant (Biology Lab Assistant)Biology Research AssistantBiology Specimen Technician (Biology Specimen Tech)Bioprocess AssociateBiotechnicianBiotechnologistBotany Laboratory AssistantCulture Media Laboratory AssistantDownstream Biomanufacturing Technician (Downstream Biomanufacturing Tech)Downstream Technician (Downstream Tech)Extraction Technician (Extraction Tech)Fiber TechnologistFowl Blood TesterHerbarium WorkerMedical Research AssistantMicrobiology Lab Tech (Microbiology Laboratory Technician)Microbiology QC Tech (Microbiology Quality Control Technician)Microbiology TechnologistSpecimen Technician (Specimen Tech)Upstream Biomanufacturing Technician

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.