Microbiologist salary in Boston, MA

Based on 31 certified H-1B filings in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Lexington, Watertown, Andover.

Median salary$95,000
Middle 50%$77.5k–$115k
vs. national median+27%comparison median $75,000
Filings31FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $70,290 and $159,068.
PercentileSalary
10th$75,396
25th$77,469
50th (median)$95,000
75th$115,000
90th$133,203

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $85k $110k FY2020: median $74,500 (28 filings) FY2021: median $76,000 (39 filings) FY2022: median $70,000 (29 filings) FY2023: median $70,000 (19 filings) FY2024: median $89,170 (18 filings) FY2025: median $92,000 (16 filings) FY2026: median $100,002 (15 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 28 filings FY20 FY2021: 39 filings FY21 FY2022: 29 filings FY22 FY2023: 19 filings FY23 FY2024: 18 filings FY24 FY2025: 16 filings FY25 FY2026: 15 filings FY26 39
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$74,500$63,010$85,60228
FY2021$76,000$67,829$85,75039
FY2022$70,000$60,780$110,00029
FY2023$70,000$65,000$114,50019
FY2024$89,170$74,697$106,40318
FY2025$92,000$77,078$104,64016
FY2026$100,002$78,145$115,00015

Cost of living

Boston's median Microbiologist salary of $95,000 is worth about $87,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Microbiologists in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $122,350 in May 2025 (1,810 employed). The H-1B median here is $95,000, 22% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Harvard Universitytoo few4
Massachusetts Institute of Technologytoo few4
Northeastern Universitytoo few3
Curia Globaltoo few2
ElevateBio Technologiestoo few2
Ingenia Therapeuticstoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $77,895 10
Mid-level · Level II $104,520 11
Senior · Level III too few 4
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$50,045$77,89510
Mid-level · Level II$102,710$104,52011

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.