Biological Technician salary

At a glance

• Mostly Level II (mid-level). 36% of Biological Technician filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
• Top filer: University of Pittsburgh. 46 filings (3% of the total), median $47,326.
• Pay depends on the city. Among the 3 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $53,000 in Philadelphia, PA to $70,000 in Boston, MA.
• Median up 22% since FY2020. From $48,389 in FY2020 to $59,072 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.

Biological Technician H-1B salary overview

Employers filed 1,602 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Biological Technician jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 19-4021, Biological Technicians). The median base salary is $58,000, 53% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $50,000 and $69,914. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 36% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (203), and University of Pittsburgh is the employer that files the most (46).

Top employers for Biological Technician

University of Pittsburgh46 filings · 3%$47,326 Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Professional Scientific Services41 filings · 3%$57,000 Mayo Clinic41 filings · 3%$63,690 Emory University36 filings · 2%$54,890 Catalent Pharma Solutions30 filings · 2%$56,095 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center30 filings · 2%$56,680 Eurofins Professional Scientific Services Mid-Atlantic28 filings · 2%$51,356 New York University28 filings · 2%$68,349 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute25 filings · 2%$50,000 University Of California, San Diego24 filings · 1%$79,385

Employers with the most Biological Technician filings. Bar: share of all Biological Technician filings. Figure: median base salary.

Pay by level

Biological Technician pay by city

Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.

What a Biological Technician does

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.

Typical tasks

• 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.

Preparation

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

O*NET occupation: Biological Technicians (19-4021.00). This section includes information from the 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.

H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers

Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Biological Technicians), the median annual wage was $57,510 in May 2025, with 69,620 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $58,000, 1% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.

Salary details

Salary range