Life & Physical Science
Biological Technicians
SOC 19-4021
Help biologists run experiments and keep the lab and samples in order.
The job
Median pay
$58k
$48k to $72k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+7.4% projected
Openings a year
9k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
8/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
70th pct
More exposed than 70% of occupations · modeled estimate · 31st pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
53/100
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Science
- Active Learning
- Writing
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 9,210 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $71k |
| Massachusetts | 8,430 | 2.3 | 5.2× | $62k |
| New York | 5,050 | 0.5 | 1.2× | $61k |
| Maryland | 3,470 | 1.3 | 2.8× | $53k |
| Washington | 3,210 | 0.9 | 2.0× | $61k |
| Florida | 3,170 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $49k |
| Pennsylvania | 2,820 | 0.5 | 1.0× | $55k |
| Texas | 2,730 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $50k |
| North Carolina | 2,460 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $62k |
| Ohio | 2,240 | 0.4 | 0.9× | $51k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 1,990 | 0.7 | 1.6× | $59k |
| Virginia | 1,820 | 0.4 | 1.0× | $53k |
| Wisconsin | 1,800 | 0.6 | 1.4× | $52k |
| Oregon | 1,590 | 0.8 | 1.8× | $52k |
| Minnesota | 1,400 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $48k |
| New Jersey | 1,290 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $66k |
| Tennessee | 1,240 | 0.4 | 0.8× | $51k |
| Michigan | 1,160 | 0.3 | 0.6× | $51k |
| Indiana | 1,020 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $59k |
| Georgia | 860 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $52k |
| Arizona | 830 | 0.3 | 0.6× | $53k |
| Hawaii | 830 | 1.3 | 3.0× | $49k |
| Iowa | 800 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $48k |
| Illinois | 790 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $56k |
| Utah | 710 | 0.4 | 0.9× | $53k |
| Connecticut | 650 | 0.4 | 0.9× | $62k |
| Missouri | 620 | 0.2 | 0.5× | $51k |
| Nebraska | 600 | 0.6 | 1.3× | $48k |
| South Carolina | 550 | 0.2 | 0.5× | $53k |
| Maine | 510 | 0.8 | 1.8× | $60k |
| Kansas | 480 | 0.3 | 0.8× | $52k |
| Idaho | 450 | 0.5 | 1.2× | $42k |
| Montana | 430 | 0.8 | 1.9× | $50k |
| Arkansas | 420 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $47k |
| Alaska | 410 | 1.3 | 2.8× | $56k |
| Oklahoma | 360 | 0.2 | 0.5× | $48k |
| Mississippi | 330 | 0.3 | 0.6× | $57k |
| Nevada | 280 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $52k |
| Alabama | 270 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $49k |
| Kentucky | 260 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $49k |
| North Dakota | 250 | 0.6 | 1.3× | $55k |
| New Hampshire | 240 | 0.4 | 0.8× | $56k |
| South Dakota | 230 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $41k |
| Vermont | 220 | 0.7 | 1.6× | $51k |
| Washington DC | 210 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $65k |
| Louisiana | 190 | 0.1 | 0.2× | $47k |
| Wyoming | 190 | 0.7 | 1.5× | $46k |
| Delaware | 180 | 0.4 | 0.8× | $59k |
| New Mexico | 140 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $50k |
| Rhode Island | 140 | 0.3 | 0.6× | $46k |
| West Virginia | 100 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $51k |
Top metro areas
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH7,320 jobs · $62k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ3,270 jobs · $63k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2,690 jobs · $95k median
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2,020 jobs · $64k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD1,950 jobs · $61k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA1,830 jobs · $67k median
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA1,770 jobs · $67k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,660 jobs · $50k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Biological Technicians interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.