Life & Physical Science
Microbiologists
SOC 19-1022
Study bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms and how they affect life.
The job
Median pay
$88k
$67k to $122k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+6.2% projected
Openings a year
2k
BLS projection
Typical education
Doctoral
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
7/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
66th pct
More exposed than 66% of occupations · modeled estimate · 62nd pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
56/100
Key skills
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
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. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,600 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $109k |
| Massachusetts | 1,960 | 0.5 | 4.4× | $122k |
| Maryland | 1,590 | 0.6 | 4.7× | $108k |
| Illinois | 1,470 | 0.2 | 2.0× | $92k |
| New York | 1,050 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $81k |
| North Carolina | 1,050 | 0.2 | 1.7× | $86k |
| Texas | 920 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $66k |
| Georgia | 880 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $103k |
| New Jersey | 790 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $96k |
| Pennsylvania | 670 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $85k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 530 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $73k |
| Wisconsin | 420 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $67k |
| Colorado | 370 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $82k |
| Michigan | 370 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $79k |
| Washington | 340 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $78k |
| Minnesota | 290 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $83k |
| Virginia | 280 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $78k |
| Florida | 270 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $81k |
| Washington DC | 229 | 0.3 | 2.7× | $137k~ |
| Tennessee | 210 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $78k |
| Louisiana | 197 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $80k~ |
| Delaware | 190 | 0.4 | 3.2× | $83k |
| Connecticut | 180 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $86k |
| Iowa | 180 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $80k |
| New Hampshire | 170 | 0.2 | 2.0× | $79k |
| Oregon | 170 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $89k |
| Oklahoma | 155 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $79k~ |
| Indiana | 150 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $78k |
| Arkansas | 140 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $60k |
| Missouri | 140 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $79k |
| New Mexico | 129 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $86k~ |
| Kansas | 120 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $71k |
| Utah | 120 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $73k |
| Alabama | 110 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $66k |
| Nevada | 110 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $64k |
| Mississippi | 105 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $62k~ |
| South Carolina | 100 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $65k |
| Nebraska | 90 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $72k |
| Arizona | 80 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $70k |
| Kentucky | 80 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $67k |
| Montana | 80 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $88k |
| South Dakota | 80 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $71k |
| Idaho | 70 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $66k |
| Hawaii | 60 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $71k |
| North Dakota | 60 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $76k~ |
| Wyoming | 57 | 0.2 | 1.7× | $78k~ |
| Rhode Island | 55 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $95k~ |
| Vermont | 42 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $80k~ |
| West Virginia | 40 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $69k |
| Alaska | 30 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $76k |
| Maine | 30 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $80k~ |
Top metro areas
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,810 jobs · $122k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,370 jobs · $115k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1,330 jobs · $86k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1,240 jobs · $101k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA780 jobs · $100k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA700 jobs · $130k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA630 jobs · $109k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD570 jobs · $102k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Microbiologists 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.