Earnings
The median annual wage for biological technicians was $39,750 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,280, and the top 10 percent earned more than $64,880.
In May 2012, median annual wages for biological technicians in the top six industries employing these technicians were as follows:
Chemical manufacturing
|
$45,380 |
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
|
$42,330 |
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private
|
$40,450 |
Hospitals; state, local, and private
|
$38,450 |
Testing laboratories
|
$36,260 |
Federal government, excluding postal service
|
$33,630 |
Most biological technicians work full time and keep regular hours. About one in five biological technicians worked part time in 2012.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-2013 Edition (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)