Biological Technicians
Career, Salary and Education Information
What They Do: Biological technicians help biological and medical scientists conduct laboratory tests and experiments.
Work Environment: Biological technicians typically work in laboratories. Most biological technicians work full time.
How to Become One: Biological technicians typically need a bachelor's degree in biology or a closely related field. It is important for prospective biological technicians to gain laboratory experience while in school.
Salary: The median annual wage for biological technicians is $48,140.
Job Outlook: Employment of biological technicians is projected to grow 9 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of biological technicians with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a biological technician with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Top 3 Biological Technician Jobs
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Sterile Processing Technician
- Veterans Health Administration
- Phoenix, AZ
Sterile Processing Technician (1-Year Contract with Potential 2-Year Extension) Job Overview: We ... Conduct biological and chemical tests to confirm sterilization efficacy, including interpreting ...
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Medical Laboratory Technician-PRN (Hiring Immediately)
- Christus Health
- Tyler, TX
Bachelor's Degree or higher in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science or ... OR 5 years of experience as a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT II cannot move to a CLS II). * ...
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Travel Sterile Processing Technician - $1,535 per week
- Aspen Valley Hospital
- Aspen, CO
The Sterile Processing Department (SPD) Technician cleans, disinfects, and sterilizes all instruments used for surgical procedures and patient care, performs all daily biological and sterile supply ...
What Biological Technicians Do[About this section] [To Top]
Biological technicians help biological and medical scientists conduct laboratory tests and experiments.
Duties of Biological Technicians
Biological technicians typically do the following:
- Set up, maintain, and clean laboratory instruments and equipment, such as microscopes, scales, pipets, and test tubes
- Gather and prepare biological samples, such as blood, food, and bacteria cultures, for laboratory analysis
- Conduct biological tests and experiments
- Document their work, including procedures, observations, and results
- Analyze experimental data and interpret results
- Write reports that summarize their findings
Biological technicians, sometimes called laboratory assistants, typically are responsible for doing scientific tests, experiments, and analyses under the supervision of biologists (such as microbiologists) or medical scientists who direct and evaluate their work. Biological technicians use traditional laboratory instruments, advanced robotics, and automated equipment to conduct experiments. They use specialized computer software to collect, analyze, and model experimental data. Some biological technicians, such as those who assist the work of zoologists and wildlife biologists, may collect samples in the field, so they may need the ability to hike rugged terrain or otherwise travel through wilderness areas.
Biological technicians work in many research areas. They may assist medical researchers by administering new medicines and treatments to laboratory animals. They may separate proteins from other cell material, and analyze data from an experiment.
Biological technicians working in a microbiological context typically study living microbes and perform techniques specific to microbiology, such as staining specimens to aid identification.
Biological technicians also may work in private industry and assist in the study of a wide range of topics concerning industrial production. They may test samples in environmental impact studies, or monitor production processes to help ensure that products are not contaminated.
Work Environment for Biological Technicians[About this section] [To Top]
Biological technicians hold about 84,300 jobs. The largest employers of biological technicians are as follows:
| Scientific research and development services | 32% |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 25% |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 11% |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 8% |
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | 7% |
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.
Biological Technician Work Schedules
Most biological technicians work full time and keep regular hours.
How to Become a Biological Technician[About this section] [To Top]
Get the education you need: Find schools for Biological Technicians near you!
Biological technicians typically need a bachelor's degree in biology or a closely related field. Although it is less common, some positions may be available to those with less than a bachelor's degree. It is important for prospective biological technicians to gain laboratory experience while they are in school.
Education for Biological Technicians
Biological technicians typically need a bachelor's degree in biology or a closely related field. Most colleges and universities offer bachelor's degree programs in the biological sciences. Some positions may be available to associate's degree holders or those without a degree but who have biological laboratory experience.
Biological science programs usually include courses in general biology, as well as in specific subfields such as ecology, microbiology, and physiology. In addition to taking courses in biology, students must study chemistry, math, and physics. Computer science courses are helpful for learning how to model and simulate biological processes and for learning how to operate some laboratory equipment.
Laboratory experience is important for prospective biological technicians, so students should take biology courses that emphasize laboratory work.
Important Qualities for Biological Technicians
Analytical skills. Biological technicians need to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision.
Communication skills. Biological technicians must understand and follow the instructions of their managing scientists. They also need to communicate their processes and findings clearly in written reports.
Critical-thinking skills. Biological technicians draw conclusions from experimental results through sound reasoning and judgment.
Observational skills. Biological technicians must constantly monitor their experiments. They need to keep a complete, accurate record of their work, including the conditions under which the experiment was carried out, the procedures they followed, and the results they obtained.
Technical skills. Biological technicians need to set up and operate sophisticated equipment and instruments. They also may need to adjust equipment to ensure that experiments are conducted properly.
Other Experience for Biological Technicians
Prospective biological technicians should have laboratory experience. In addition to coursework, students may gain laboratory experience during summer internships with prospective employers, such as pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturers, or in university laboratories.
Advancement for Biological Technicians
Biological technicians may advance to scientist positions, such as microbiologist or biochemist and biophysicist, after a few years of experience working as a technician or after earning a master's degree or Ph.D. Gaining more experience and higher levels of education often allows biological technicians to move into positions such as natural sciences managers or postsecondary teachers.
Biological Technician Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for biological technicians is $48,140. 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.
The median annual wages for biological technicians in the top industries in which they work are 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.
Job Outlook for Biological Technicians[About this section] [To Top]
Employment of biological technicians is projected to grow 9 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 12,200 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 of Biological Technicians
Demand for biological and medical research is expected to increase the need for biological technicians. Synthetic biology, a relatively new area of biotechnology, will employ biological technicians to redesign biological systems or living organisms for medical, manufacturing, and agriculture applications. Continued growth in biotechnology research and development projects, such as using cells to deliver drugs within the human body, is expected to support demand for biological technicians.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Biological technicians | 84,300 | 92,000 | 9 | 7,700 |
More Biological Technician Information[About this section] [To Top]
For more information about career opportunities in the biological sciences, visit
American Institute of Biological Sciences
American Society for Cell Biology
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.