Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary
From 6,891 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 19-1029: Molecular and Cellular Biologists
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 39% of Molecular and Cellular Biologist filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 201 filings (3% of the total), median $76,000.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $70,179 in Dallas, TX to $114,400 in San Francisco, CA.
- Median up 25% since FY2020. From $68,000 in FY2020 to $85,322 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Molecular and Cellular Biologist H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 6,891 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Molecular and Cellular Biologist jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 19-1029, Molecular and Cellular Biologists). The median base salary is $84,406, 31% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $71,760 and $110,037. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 39% of filings. Boston, MA has the most filings (1,442), and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is the employer that files the most (201).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Molecular and Cellular Biologist
The Leland Stanford, Jr University194 filings · 3%$82,000
Zifo Technologies131 filings · 2%$85,000
Howard Hughes Medical Institute118 filings · 2%$83,513
University of Michigan115 filings · 2%$65,640
UT Southwestern Medical Center103 filings · 1%$70,000
Harvard University100 filings · 1%$76,491
The Broad Institute99 filings · 1%$90,000
Johns Hopkins University94 filings · 1%$70,000
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School93 filings · 1%$71,532
Employers with the most Molecular and Cellular Biologist filings. Bar: share of all Molecular and Cellular Biologist filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 39% of filings
Mid-level · 31% of filings
Senior · 19% of filings
Expert · 10% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $72,000 | 2,467 |
| Level II · Qualified | $90,000 | 1,978 |
| Level III · Experienced | $107,006 | 1,224 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $139,800 | 655 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Molecular and Cellular Biologist pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 68 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Molecular and Cellular Biologist does
All biological scientists not listed separately.
O*NET occupation: Biological Scientists, All Other (19-1029.00). 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 Scientists, All Other), the median annual wage was $98,920 in May 2025, with 55,850 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $84,406, 15% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $63,000 | $60,430 |
| 25th percentile | $71,760 | $76,800 |
| Median | $84,406 | $98,920 |
| 75th percentile | $110,037 | $127,670 |
| 90th percentile | $140,213 | $168,010 |
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
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $63,000 |
| 25th | $71,760 |
| 50th (median) | $84,406 |
| 75th | $110,037 |
| 90th | $140,213 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $68,000 | $56,000 | $90,000 | 3,236 |
| FY2021 | $70,000 | $57,866 | $91,901 | 3,998 |
| FY2022 | $73,432 | $60,000 | $98,000 | 4,247 |
| FY2023 | $79,177 | $65,000 | $103,000 | 3,932 |
| FY2024 | $80,340 | $69,000 | $108,285 | 4,093 |
| FY2025 | $82,416 | $71,136 | $105,500 | 4,001 |
| FY2026 | $85,322 | $72,042 | $113,464 | 2,890 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Molecular and Cellular Biologist make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Molecular and Cellular Biologist jobs is $84,406 (6,891 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $71,760 and $110,037.
What does an entry-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $72,000. Level I accounts for 39% of Molecular and Cellular Biologist filings.
Which city pays H-1B Molecular and Cellular Biologists the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Francisco, CA has the highest median base salary for Molecular and Cellular Biologist jobs: $114,400 (585 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Molecular and Cellular Biologists?
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (201), The Leland Stanford, Jr University (194) and Zifo Technologies (131) filed the most Molecular and Cellular Biologist LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Molecular and Cellular Biologists earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($84,406) is 15% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($98,920, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.