19 Series · SOC 19-1022
Microbiologists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $87,990
- Median / year
- $150,000
- Top 10% earn
- +4.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 18,940
- US workers
Microbiologists earn a median of $87,990 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $87,990, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $54,670 (10th percentile) to $150,000 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 18,940 US workers. Massachusetts pays the most ($122,350), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Microbiologists earn a median of $87,990, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 77% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #26 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.1% by 2033.
- $87,990
- Median annual wage
- Top 23%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #26 of 48
- in Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 2.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Massachusetts at $122,350. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Microbiologists (SOC 19-1022) pays a national median of $87,990 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $54,670 at the 10th percentile to $150,000 at the 90th, with a mean of $97,600 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 18,940 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 76 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 1.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.7 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Massachusetts pays the highest state median at $122,350, which is +39% above the national figure. The top metro is West Montana nonmetropolitan area at $133,470 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$87,990
per year
Median Hourly
$42.30/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$97,600
average
Employment
18,940
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Microbiologists pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$87,990 Top 23% higher than 77% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Microbiologists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 19-series occupations with growth data, Microbiologists sits on the slower-growing side at +4.1% growth and $87,990 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.1%
About average
Annual Openings
1,700
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Microbiologists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition.
- ▸ Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
- ▸ Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.
- ▸ Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens.
- ▸ Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.
- ▸ Use a variety of specialized equipment, such as electron microscopes, gas and high-pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence-activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
- ▸ Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.
- ▸ Prepare technical reports and recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
- ▸ Research use of bacteria and microorganisms to develop vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, grain alcohol, sugars, and polymers.
- ▸ Observe action of microorganisms upon living tissues of plants, higher animals, and other microorganisms, and on dead organic matter.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$54,670
25th Percentile
$67,100
Median
$87,990
75th Percentile
$122,350
90th Percentile
$150,000
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $122,350 | +39% above national |
| 2 | California | $108,530 | +23% above national |
| 3 | Maryland | $108,470 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Georgia | $103,070 | +17% above national |
| 5 | New Jersey | $96,020 | +9% above national |
| 6 | Illinois | $92,050 | +5% above national |
| 7 | Oregon | $89,220 | +1% above national |
| 8 | Montana | $87,750 | same as national |
| 9 | Connecticut | $86,360 | 2% below national |
| 10 | North Carolina | $85,860 | 2% below national |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $84,650 | 4% below national |
| 12 | Minnesota | $83,400 | 5% below national |
| 13 | Delaware | $82,770 | 6% below national |
| 14 | Colorado | $81,640 | 7% below national |
| 15 | New York | $81,090 | 8% below national |
| 16 | Florida | $80,930 | 8% below national |
| 17 | Iowa | $79,830 | 9% below national |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $79,430 | 10% below national |
| 19 | Michigan | $78,680 | 11% below national |
| 20 | Missouri | $78,590 | 11% below national |
| 21 | Indiana | $77,900 | 11% below national |
| 22 | Virginia | $77,820 | 12% below national |
| 23 | Washington | $77,690 | 12% below national |
| 24 | Tennessee | $77,630 | 12% below national |
| 25 | Alaska | $76,320 | 13% below national |
| 26 | Utah | $72,600 | 17% below national |
| 27 | Ohio | $72,500 | 18% below national |
| 28 | Nebraska | $72,470 | 18% below national |
| 29 | Hawaii | $70,970 | 19% below national |
| 30 | South Dakota | $70,530 | 20% below national |
| 31 | Kansas | $70,500 | 20% below national |
| 32 | Arizona | $69,880 | 21% below national |
| 33 | West Virginia | $68,550 | 22% below national |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $67,100 | 24% below national |
| 35 | Kentucky | $66,500 | 24% below national |
| 36 | Texas | $66,450 | 24% below national |
| 37 | Idaho | $65,940 | 25% below national |
| 38 | Alabama | $65,690 | 25% below national |
| 39 | South Carolina | $64,740 | 26% below national |
| 40 | Nevada | $64,490 | 27% below national |
| 41 | Puerto Rico | $63,680 | 28% below national |
| 42 | Mississippi | $61,690 | 30% below national |
| 43 | Arkansas | $59,750 | 32% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 76 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Montana nonmetropolitan area | $133,470 | +52% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,070 | +48% above national |
| 3 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $129,960 | +48% above national |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $123,910 | +41% above national |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,590 | +40% above national |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $122,350 | +39% above national |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $115,980 | +32% above national |
| 8 | Worcester, MA | $115,660 | +31% above national |
| 9 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $114,840 | +31% above national |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $114,800 | +30% above national |
| 11 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $112,470 | +28% above national |
| 12 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $112,440 | +28% above national |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $109,320 | +24% above national |
| 14 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $108,900 | +24% above national |
| 15 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $102,590 | +17% above national |
| 16 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $101,990 | +16% above national |
| 17 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $100,620 | +14% above national |
| 18 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,420 | +14% above national |
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $95,980 | +9% above national |
| 20 | Peoria, IL | $93,240 | +6% above national |
| 21 | Fresno, CA | $91,890 | +4% above national |
| 22 | Richmond, VA | $90,930 | +3% above national |
| 23 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $90,460 | +3% above national |
| 24 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $89,630 | +2% above national |
| 25 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $89,240 | +1% above national |
| 26 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $86,120 | 2% below national |
| 27 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $86,070 | 2% below national |
| 28 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $85,860 | 2% below national |
| 29 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $85,710 | 3% below national |
| 30 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $85,470 | 3% below national |
| 31 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $85,340 | 3% below national |
| 32 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $85,120 | 3% below national |
| 33 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $85,010 | 3% below national |
| 34 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $84,880 | 4% below national |
| 35 | Manhattan, KS | $81,330 | 8% below national |
| 36 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $80,870 | 8% below national |
| 37 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $80,540 | 8% below national |
| 38 | Wilmington, NC | $80,470 | 9% below national |
| 39 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $80,270 | 9% below national |
| 40 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $79,990 | 9% below national |
| 41 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $79,910 | 9% below national |
| 42 | Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $79,430 | 10% below national |
| 43 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $78,120 | 11% below national |
| 44 | Columbus, OH | $78,030 | 11% below national |
| 45 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $77,770 | 12% below national |
| 46 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,690 | 12% below national |
| 47 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $77,620 | 12% below national |
| 48 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $76,220 | 13% below national |
| 49 | Reno, NV | $75,310 | 14% below national |
| 50 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $73,690 | 16% below national |
| 51 | Cleveland, OH | $73,600 | 16% below national |
| 52 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $70,220 | 20% below national |
| 53 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $69,880 | 21% below national |
| 54 | Rochester, NY | $68,850 | 22% below national |
| 55 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $67,960 | 23% below national |
| 56 | Madison, WI | $67,940 | 23% below national |
| 57 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $66,730 | 24% below national |
| 58 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $66,560 | 24% below national |
| 59 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $66,500 | 24% below national |
| 60 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $66,450 | 24% below national |
| 61 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $66,130 | 25% below national |
| 62 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $65,910 | 25% below national |
| 63 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $65,650 | 25% below national |
| 64 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $65,160 | 26% below national |
| 65 | Bozeman, MT | $65,120 | 26% below national |
| 66 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $63,960 | 27% below national |
| 67 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $62,790 | 29% below national |
| 68 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $62,090 | 29% below national |
| 69 | Boise City, ID | $61,860 | 30% below national |
| 70 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $61,840 | 30% below national |
| 71 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $61,710 | 30% below national |
| 72 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $61,310 | 30% below national |
| 73 | Pittsburgh, PA | $59,940 | 32% below national |
| 74 | Modesto, CA | $59,470 | 32% below national |
| 75 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $55,090 | 37% below national |
| 76 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $51,520 | 41% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 19 (life physical and social science) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Microbiologists make? ▼
What state pays Microbiologists the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Microbiologists? ▼
How dangerous is being a Microbiologists? ▼
Is Microbiologists a good career? ▼
How does Microbiologists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Microbiologists? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Microbiologists pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $122,350/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Massachusetts leads at $122,350/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.