Mid-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary in Los Angeles, CA

Based on 43 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Pasadena, West Hollywood, El Monte, Torrance.

Median salary$85,325
Middle 50%$85.2k–$98k
vs. all levels here+6%comparison median $80,800
Filings43FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $84,843 and $157,900.
PercentileSalary
10th$84,843
25th$85,239
50th (median)$85,325
75th$98,000
90th$109,400

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $80k $100k FY2020: median $77,500 (25 filings) FY2021: median $76,877 (23 filings) FY2022: median $85,426 (23 filings) FY2023: median $75,192 (21 filings) FY2024: median $84,843 (33 filings) FY2025: median $85,322 (25 filings) FY2026: median $88,180 (18 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 25 filings FY20 FY2021: 23 filings FY21 FY2022: 23 filings FY22 FY2023: 21 filings FY23 FY2024: 33 filings FY24 FY2025: 25 filings FY25 FY2026: 18 filings FY26 33
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$77,500$73,902$88,58725
FY2021$76,877$76,877$90,50023
FY2022$85,426$83,325$96,55423
FY2023$75,192$71,219$90,00021
FY2024$84,843$72,480$90,00033
FY2025$85,322$84,843$94,76425
FY2026$88,180$85,322$104,77018

Cost of living

Los Angeles's median mid-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary of $85,325 is worth about $75,100 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 $85,325, 11% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center$85,32211
The University of Southern Californiatoo few9
Children's Hospital Los Angelestoo few3
Fulgent Therapeuticstoo few3
University of California, Los Angelestoo few3
Diatom Biolabtoo few2
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyteriantoo few2
Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Centertoo few2
PrimeGentoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$70,990$70,99074
Mid-level · Level II$85,322$85,32543
Senior · Level III$106,912$108,00027
Expert · Level IV$127,130$143,80016

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.