occupation · 19-1022 · detailed
Microbiologists — wages and employment
Microbiologists earned a median annual wage of $87,330 in the United States in May 2024, with 19,760 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Microbiologists earned a median annual wage of $87,330 in the United States in May 2024, with 19,760 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $51,220 or less, the best-paid tenth $150,650 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $85,470 to $87,330, +2.2 %. The best-paying state is Massachusetts at $126,260; the lowest Alabama at $55,600. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $129,830. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 19,760 | $87,330 | $95,200 | $51,220 | $63,920 | $120,750 | $150,650 | $41.98 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 21,540 | $85,470 | $93,380 | $49,070 | $62,770 | $120,240 | $147,470 | $41.09 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $126,260 | 2,110 |
| California | $107,380 | 2,510 |
| Maryland | $101,060 | 2,040 |
| Georgia | $97,090 | 990 |
| Maine | $94,920 | 60 |
| Oregon | $89,220 | 160 |
| Montana | $88,770 | 110 |
| Virginia | $88,080 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $86,380 | 170 |
| New York | $85,850 | 1,090 |
| Minnesota | $85,340 | 430 |
| North Carolina | $82,170 | 1,320 |
| Connecticut | $82,080 | 290 |
| New Jersey | $82,070 | 1,080 |
| Indiana | $80,110 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $77,730 | 130 |
| Washington | $77,130 | 350 |
| Alaska | $76,900 | 40 |
| Iowa | $76,490 | 160 |
| Ohio | $75,940 | 530 |
| Delaware | $75,720 | 180 |
| Mississippi | $75,590 | 40 |
| Illinois | $74,350 | 840 |
| Florida | $74,220 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $72,950 | 70 |
| Nevada | $72,380 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $71,140 | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,010 | 780 |
| Michigan | $70,610 | 340 |
| Colorado | $69,010 | 370 |
| Missouri | $68,630 | 130 |
| Utah | $67,780 | 140 |
| Hawaii | $65,000 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $63,470 | 690 |
| Kentucky | $62,900 | 80 |
| Texas | $62,720 | 690 |
| Kansas | $62,470 | 160 |
| North Dakota | $61,420 | 40 |
| Arkansas | $60,710 | 140 |
| Idaho | $60,450 | 60 |
| South Carolina | $57,690 | 90 |
| Puerto Rico | $57,570 | 170 |
| Alabama | $55,600 | 90 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,830 | 130 |
| Worcester, MA | $127,120 | 170 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $126,140 | 870 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $124,580 | 1,790 |
| Modesto, CA | $113,870 | 60 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $110,260 | 80 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $108,970 | 60 |
| Ames, IA | $108,040 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $106,660 | 150 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $105,630 | 1,600 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,820 | 680 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $99,960 | 50 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $99,480 | 320 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $97,090 | 830 |
| New Haven, CT | $96,820 | 70 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $96,290 | 130 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $91,420 | 100 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $90,790 | 500 |
| Fresno, CA | $87,270 | 30 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $86,690 | 400 |
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