Biological Technicians
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.
- Median pay
- $57,510
- Doing it now
- 74,400
- By 2035
- Up 7.4%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
9,400 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
- Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
- Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
- Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
- Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
- Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.
- Provide technical support and services for scientists and engineers working in fields such as agriculture, environmental science, resource management, biology, and health sciences.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/TechniciansSee 15 colleges that teach it
- Biology, GeneralSee 1,382 colleges that teach it
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologySee 707 colleges that teach it
- Neurobiology and NeurosciencesSee 303 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Organised and precise
Hands-on and practical
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $57,510 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.