Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

19-4021 Biological Technicians

Assist biological and medical scientists in laboratories. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
72,140 2.4 % $20.33 $42,290 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.99 $15.03 $18.98 $24.34 $30.87
Annual Wage (2) $24,940 $31,270 $39,480 $50,630 $64,200


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 20,200 3.20 $21.63 $44,990
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 18,750 0.66 $20.02 $41,630
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 11,110 0.54 $17.98 $37,400
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 6,470 2.43 $23.20 $48,250
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 3,420 0.07 $20.32 $42,270

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 20,200 3.20 $21.63 $44,990
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 6,470 2.43 $23.20 $48,250
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 18,750 0.66 $20.02 $41,630
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 11,110 0.54 $17.98 $37,400
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 910 0.40 $18.98 $39,480

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Physicians 490 0.02 $29.15 $60,630
Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers 90 0.05 $24.91 $51,820
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 6,470 2.43 $23.20 $48,250
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 160 0.05 $21.95 $45,650
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 80 0.02 $21.77 $45,280


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 10,920 0.78 1.38 $23.10 $48,050
Massachusetts 6,180 1.96 3.48 $21.67 $45,080
New York 3,990 0.47 0.84 $20.87 $43,400
Maryland 3,820 1.54 2.74 $23.00 $47,840
Pennsylvania 3,520 0.63 1.13 $20.21 $42,050




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 6,180 1.96 3.48 $21.67 $45,080
Maryland 3,820 1.54 2.74 $23.00 $47,840
Montana 610 1.43 2.54 $16.89 $35,130
Alaska 410 1.30 2.31 $17.81 $37,050
Washington 3,460 1.27 2.26 $19.56 $40,680




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 1,040 0.64 1.14 $24.57 $51,100
New Jersey 1,950 0.52 0.92 $24.26 $50,470
Minnesota 1,200 0.46 0.82 $23.41 $48,690
Illinois 1,300 0.23 0.42 $23.18 $48,220
California 10,920 0.78 1.38 $23.10 $48,050





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 4,690 2.80 4.98 $21.89 $45,530
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 2,350 1.90 3.38 $22.53 $46,870
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 2,080 1.52 2.71 $20.40 $42,440
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,890 0.49 0.88 $22.75 $47,310
Ann Arbor, MI 1,790 9.38 16.68 $16.86 $35,070
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 1,700 0.94 1.67 $22.51 $46,820
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,530 2.76 4.90 $25.00 $52,000
Pittsburgh, PA 1,350 1.22 2.16 $17.92 $37,260
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,320 1.38 2.46 $25.08 $52,180
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,290 0.56 0.99 $22.38 $46,560




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ann Arbor, MI 1,790 9.38 16.68 $16.86 $35,070
Ames, IA 300 7.56 13.44 $19.21 $39,970
Lafayette, IN 270 3.27 5.82 $17.96 $37,360
Fairbanks, AK 110 3.03 5.39 $18.79 $39,080
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 4,690 2.80 4.98 $21.89 $45,530
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,530 2.76 4.90 $25.00 $52,000
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 680 2.53 4.49 $21.54 $44,810
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 90 2.40 4.27 $17.68 $36,780
Worcester, MA-CT 540 2.23 3.97 $19.21 $39,960
Idaho Falls, ID 110 2.22 3.95 $12.98 $27,000




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,290 1.34 2.39 $32.55 $67,700
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (8) (8) (8) $32.43 $67,450
Harrisonburg, VA 70 1.18 2.10 $29.66 $61,690
Bloomington, IN 40 0.50 0.89 $27.85 $57,930
Trenton-Ewing, NJ (8) (8) (8) $27.42 $57,030
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 160 0.30 0.53 $26.19 $54,480
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,320 1.38 2.46 $25.08 $52,180
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,530 2.76 4.90 $25.00 $52,000
New Haven, CT 380 1.44 2.56 $24.66 $51,280
Raleigh-Cary, NC 450 0.90 1.60 $24.53 $51,030

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 310 2.02 3.60 $14.66 $30,480
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 300 2.58 4.58 $17.35 $36,090
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 190 3.37 6.00 $18.36 $38,200
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area 190 3.24 5.75 $15.45 $32,140
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 170 1.50 2.66 $14.76 $30,700

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 190 3.37 6.00 $18.36 $38,200
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area 190 3.24 5.75 $15.45 $32,140
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 300 2.58 4.58 $17.35 $36,090
Southeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 90 2.50 4.45 $18.38 $38,230
Eastern Montana nonmetropolitan area 70 2.10 3.74 $16.13 $33,550

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 100 0.38 0.67 $19.74 $41,060
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 70 0.75 1.33 $19.36 $40,280
Central Texas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.24 0.43 $19.36 $40,270
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 70 0.24 0.42 $19.35 $40,250
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 30 0.14 0.25 $19.30 $40,150


About May 2011 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 mean 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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012