Work Environment

Biological technicians held about 87,600 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of biological technicians were as follows:

• Scientific research and development services - 32%
• Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private - 25%
• Federal government, excluding postal service - 10%
• Hospitals; state, local, and private - 9%
• Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing - 6%

Biological technicians typically work in laboratories and offices, where they conduct experiments and analyze the results under the supervision of biological scientists and medical scientists. Some biological technicians who do fieldwork may be exposed to weather events and wildlife, such as mosquitoes.

Biological technicians must follow strict procedures to avoid contaminating the experiment, themselves, or the environment. Some experiments may involve dangerous organisms or toxic substances.

Biological technicians work together on teams under the direction of biologists or other scientists.

Work Schedules

Most biological technicians work full time and keep regular hours.

Job Outlook

Employment of biological technicians is projected to grow 7 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 11,800 openings for biological technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Demand for biological and medical research is expected to increase the need for biological technicians. A new area of biotechnology, synthetic biology, will employ biological technicians to redesign biological systems or living organisms for use in ways that are more efficient ways than current use. Applications of biotechnology may be the subject of research topics such as ways to produce biofuels and new treatments for cancer and other diseases.

Earnings

The median annual wage for biological technicians was $48,140 in May 2021. 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 $31,170, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,090.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for biological technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

• Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing - $59,770
• Scientific research and development services - $49,850
• Hospitals; state, local, and private - $49,580
• Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private - $48,140
• Federal government, excluding postal service - $41,910

Most biological technicians work full time and keep regular hours.