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Biological Technicians

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $57,510 Median per year · $27.65/hr Most earn $40,330–$84,940

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Input data into databases.
  • Place orders for laboratory equipment and supplies.
  • Conduct or supervise operational programs, such as fish hatcheries, greenhouses and livestock production programs.
  • Examine animals and specimens to detect the presence of disease or other problems.
  • Measure or weigh compounds and solutions for use in testing or animal feed.
  • Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.

Job outlook

United States
7% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 9,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences33.0%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools22.9%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service9.3%
  • Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing8.7%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals4.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Biological Technician is usually not a job you can start straight out of high school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree first and then spend about 6 months to a year getting hands-on lab experience, so the full path often takes around 4 to 5 years.

  1. Bachelor's degree in biology or a related science

    4 years

    You take courses in biology, chemistry, and lab methods, which teach you the science and the basic lab skills employers look for.

  2. Laboratory assistant or research aide

    6 months to 1 year

    You work under lab staff, prepare samples and equipment, and record data, which builds the hands-on experience most employers expect before hiring a technician.

  3. Biological Technician

    Ongoing

    You set up and run lab instruments, monitor experiments, collect samples, and record results to help biological and medical scientists.

Where it can lead

  1. Bioinformatics Technician

    2-4 years of experience first

    You add computer and data skills to lab work, using software to analyze biological data, which is a common move for technicians who enjoy working with data.

  2. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist

    6 months to 1 year of experience first

    This is a related lab career that also requires a bachelor's degree and similar experience; it has more clinical testing duties and often needs a state or national license, so it is more of a side step than a higher rank.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and mathThese classes give you the science foundation you will need for a bachelor's degree in a lab field.
  • Join a science club or science fairWorking on a project teaches you to follow procedures, collect data, and record results, just like a lab technician does.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or community science programVolunteering shows you how labs and science teams work and helps you decide if this career fits you.
  • Look for a starter job or summer workA job such as a lab helper, tutor, or food-service worker teaches responsibility and reliability that employers value.
  • Take a computer or data class if your school offers oneBasic data and spreadsheet skills are used in lab work and can help you stand out later.

In college

  • Major in biology, chemistry, or biotechnologyThese majors include the lab courses and science knowledge that employers look for in technician candidates.
  • Get a part-time lab job or research assistant positionWorking in a campus lab builds the hands-on experience that usually takes 6 months to a year to earn after graduation.
  • Take a statistics or data analysis courseCalculating and recording results is a core task, and data skills make you more useful in many labs.
  • Join a science or pre-health student organizationThese groups let you network with people in the field and hear about lab openings and internships.
  • Learn lab safety and documentation practicesMany schools offer lab safety training, and knowing good record keeping is a skill that helps you in any lab job.

Tips for getting started

  • Get any lab job you can, even unpaid volunteer or part-time work, because hands-on experience is what employers look for after your degree.
  • Learn basic lab safety, record keeping, and spreadsheet skills early, since these show up in almost every technician job posting.
  • Check your state's rules and job postings for the role you want, since some lab jobs ask for specific licenses or certificates.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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