Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 219 certified H-1B filings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Pasadena, West Hollywood, El Monte, Torrance.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $70,886 |
| 25th | $70,990 |
| 50th (median) | $80,800 |
| 75th | $99,309 |
| 90th | $127,130 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $63,294 | $55,515 | $78,750 | 87 |
| FY2021 | $65,295 | $63,294 | $76,877 | 119 |
| FY2022 | $80,000 | $71,843 | $101,608 | 101 |
| FY2023 | $78,332 | $69,160 | $100,000 | 80 |
| FY2024 | $74,182 | $70,264 | $87,387 | 128 |
| FY2025 | $76,491 | $70,990 | $88,683 | 131 |
| FY2026 | $85,322 | $73,892 | $106,912 | 88 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary of $80,800 is worth about $71,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Molecular and Cellular Biologists in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $96,380 in May 2025 (2,320 employed). The H-1B median here is $80,800, 16% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | $70,990 | 47 |
| University Of California, Irvine | $79,200 | 25 |
| The University of Southern California | $70,990 | 23 |
| California Institute of Technology | $72,862 | 22 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | $78,509 | 15 |
| Children's Hospital Los Angeles | $77,241 | 10 |
| Fulgent Therapeutics | too few | 8 |
| A-New Bio | too few | 3 |
| A2 Biotherapeutics | too few | 3 |
| PrimeGen | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $70,990 | 74 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,325 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $108,000 | 27 |
| Expert · Level IV | $143,800 | 16 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $70,990 | $70,990 | 74 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,322 | $85,325 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $106,912 | $108,000 | 27 |
| Expert · Level IV | $127,130 | $143,800 | 16 |
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.