Biological Technician salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 31 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Palo Alto, Stanford, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara.
Also listed as: Research Associate (Biology)
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $63,107 |
| 25th | $64,809 |
| 50th (median) | $71,818 |
| 75th | $75,088 |
| 90th | $87,090 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2021 | $61,734 | $55,274 | $62,620 | 21 |
| FY2022 | $62,500 | $58,000 | $67,500 | 11 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2024 | $73,367 | $67,000 | $78,818 | 14 |
| FY2025 | $71,818 | $64,491 | $75,022 | 11 |
| FY2026 | $72,500 | $65,659 | $75,088 | 20 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Biological Technician salary of $71,818 is worth about $65,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Biological Technicians in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $72,940 in May 2025 (790 employed). The H-1B median here is $71,818, 2% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Genista Biosciences | too few | 7 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | too few | 5 |
| HumanCells BioSciences | too few | 3 |
| MEDIC Life Sciences | too few | 2 |
| Vibrant Genomics | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 2 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $66,535 | 14 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 4 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 3 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $63,107 | $66,535 | 14 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.