Biological technicians
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Biological technicians in the United States earn a median salary of $57,510 per year — about $28 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 83K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +3%.
AI & Automation Risk
The role is a hybrid of physical laboratory work and digital data analysis. While AI can significantly automate data interpretation, report writing, and experimental modeling, the core duties involve manual tasks like setting up equipment, preparing biological samples, and conducting physical experiments that require a human presence in a lab or field environment.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler, TXBEST VALUE | $77,020 | Below avg (92.2) | $83,576 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95,220 | Above avg (115.6) | $82,361 |
| Peoria, IL | $72,120 | Below avg (91.2) | $79,052 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $77,170 | Above avg (103.2) | $74,792 |
| Boulder, CO | $75,390 | Above avg (105.2) | $71,662 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $64,270 | Below avg (92.7) | $69,328 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $64,360 | Below avg (93.3) | $68,950 |
| Worcester, MA | $69,730 | Average (102.5) | $68,014 |
| Bloomington, IN | $64,570 | Below avg (95.1) | $67,908 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $66,590 | Average (99.1) | $67,164 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $62,630 | Below avg (93.4) | $67,034 |
| Richmond, VA | $65,210 | Average (97.9) | $66,637 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $72,940 | Above avg (110.4) | $66,055 |
| Syracuse, NY | $63,060 | Below avg (95.7) | $65,865 |
| Jackson, MS | $58,550 | Below avg (89.0) | $65,751 |