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Laboratory assistant salary
Average laboratory assistant salary
$16.43
Average Laboratory Assistant Salary
The average salary for a laboratory assistant in the United States is approximately $34,168 per year, which translates to around $16.43 per hour. Salary figures can vary based on geographic location, type of laboratory, and years of experience. For instance, laboratory assistants in metropolitan areas may earn significantly more due to higher living costs.
Where Can a Laboratory Assistant Earn More?
States such as California and Massachusetts typically offer higher salaries for laboratory assistants, reflecting local demand and cost of living. In addition to location, specialization in fields like clinical research or biotechnology can also enhance earning potential. For those considering a career path in this field, gaining relevant certifications and experience can lead to increased job opportunities and higher wages.
Career Opportunities and Growth
As the healthcare and research sectors continue to grow, so does the demand for laboratory assistants. This role serves as a crucial entry point for those looking to advance in medical and scientific careers. With ongoing training and education, laboratory assistants can progress into supervisory or specialized positions, increasing their earning potential.
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Where can a Laboratory Assistant earn more?
Laboratory assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average laboratory assistant salary by state
The average laboratory assistant salary in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average laboratory assistant salary states are Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for laboratory assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $43,536 | $20.93 |
| 2 | Vermont | $37,699 | $18.12 |
| 3 | Maine | $36,793 | $17.69 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $36,313 | $17.46 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $41,912 | $20.15 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $38,426 | $18.47 |
| 7 | Alaska | $39,817 | $19.14 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $37,214 | $17.89 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $36,559 | $17.58 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $34,226 | $16.45 |
| 11 | Michigan | $33,402 | $16.06 |
| 12 | New York | $35,792 | $17.21 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $34,208 | $16.45 |
| 14 | Iowa | $33,619 | $16.16 |
| 15 | Ohio | $33,484 | $16.10 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $35,069 | $16.86 |
| 17 | Delaware | $37,374 | $17.97 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $33,318 | $16.02 |
| 19 | Washington | $35,184 | $16.92 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $32,142 | $15.45 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $39,630 | $19.05 |
| 22 | Oregon | $34,737 | $16.70 |
| 23 | California | $37,358 | $17.96 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $31,388 | $15.09 |
| 25 | Montana | $33,368 | $16.04 |
| 26 | Indiana | $31,427 | $15.11 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $31,560 | $15.17 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $32,696 | $15.72 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $37,061 | $17.82 |
| 30 | Illinois | $33,288 | $16.00 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $29,265 | $14.07 |
| 32 | Virginia | $34,744 | $16.70 |
| 33 | Maryland | $33,521 | $16.12 |
| 34 | Kansas | $30,192 | $14.52 |
| 35 | Arizona | $29,289 | $14.08 |
| 36 | Idaho | $30,874 | $14.84 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $28,733 | $13.81 |
| 38 | Nevada | $32,002 | $15.39 |
| 39 | Colorado | $31,978 | $15.37 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $30,397 | $14.61 |
| 41 | Missouri | $30,232 | $14.53 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $27,916 | $13.42 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $30,076 | $14.46 |
| 44 | Florida | $25,228 | $12.13 |
| 45 | Utah | $29,018 | $13.95 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $26,727 | $12.85 |
| 47 | Georgia | $27,990 | $13.46 |
| 48 | Texas | $26,921 | $12.94 |
| 49 | Alabama | $26,545 | $12.76 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $25,704 | $12.36 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $25,720 | $12.37 |
Highest paying cities for laboratory assistants
The highest-paying cities for laboratory assistants are Boston, MA, Anchorage, AK, and Lakewood, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $43,573 | $20.95 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $39,976 | $19.22 |
| 3 | Lakewood, NJ | $38,282 | $18.40 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $37,949 | $18.24 |
| 5 | Burlington, VT | $37,672 | $18.11 |
| 6 | Portland, ME | $36,851 | $17.72 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $36,546 | $17.57 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $35,766 | $17.20 |
| 9 | Bellingham, WA | $35,490 | $17.06 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $35,086 | $16.87 |
| 11 | Springfield, OR | $34,749 | $16.71 |
| 12 | Rochester, NH | $34,296 | $16.49 |
| 13 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $33,886 | $16.29 |
| 14 | Eau Claire, WI | $33,689 | $16.20 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $33,627 | $16.17 |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $33,443 | $16.08 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $33,432 | $16.07 |
| 18 | Lancaster, OH | $33,037 | $15.88 |
| 19 | Boulder, CO | $32,126 | $15.45 |
| 20 | Burlington, NC | $32,041 | $15.40 |
Laboratory Assistants are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Laboratory assistant salary details
A laboratory assistant's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a laboratory assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $34,168 | $2,847 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying laboratory assistant jobs
The highest paying types of laboratory assistants are laboratory supervisor, laboratory coordinator, and medical laboratory technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Laboratory Technologist Internship | $37,088 | $3,091 | $17.83 | 169,421 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician | $50,756 | $4,230 | $24.40 | 119,050 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | $51,780 | $4,315 | $24.89 | 88,721 |
| Laboratory Coordinator | $52,690 | $4,391 | $25.33 | 64,914 |
| Laboratory Internship | $35,305 | $2,942 | $16.97 | 90,970 |
Top companies hiring laboratory assistants now:
Which companies pay laboratory assistants the most?
Laboratory assistant salaries at UST Global and Massasoit Community College are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average laboratory assistant salary at companies like Mt. San Antonio College and City Utilities of Springfield are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UST Global | $61,378 | $29.51 |
| 2 | Massasoit Community College | $49,229 | $23.67 |
| 3 | Mt. San Antonio College | $47,892 | $23.02 |
| 4 | City Utilities of Springfield | $45,537 | $21.89 |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $44,559 | $21.42 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | $44,388 | $21.34 |
| 7 | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute | $44,006 | $21.16 |
| 8 | Saint Xavier University | $43,427 | $20.88 |
| 9 | Zoetis | $43,417 | $20.87 |
| 10 | State College of Florida | $42,488 | $20.43 |
| 11 | Stanford University | $42,413 | $20.39 |
| 12 | MCPHS University - Boston | $41,669 | $20.03 |
| 13 | Dallas College | $41,355 | $19.88 |
| 14 | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | $41,249 | $19.83 |
| 15 | Aya Healthcare | $40,760 | $19.60 |
| 16 | Tallahassee Community College | $40,564 | $19.50 |
| 17 | UC Merced | $40,452 | $19.45 |
| 18 | Cell Signaling Technology | $40,432 | $19.44 |
| 19 | Emanate Health | $40,196 | $19.32 |
| 20 | HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology | $40,033 | $19.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Laboratory assistant salary trends
The average laboratory assistant salary has risen by $3,794 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average laboratory assistant earned $30,374 annually, but today, they earn $34,168 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for laboratory assistants over the last decade.
Compare laboratory assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average laboratory assistant salary over time
Compare laboratory assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Laboratory assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,200 | $16.43 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $33,200 | $15.98 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | $33,500 | $16.10 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $32,600 | $15.70 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $32,000 | $15.39 | -0.1% |
Recently added laboratory assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles River Laboratories | Laboratory Assistant I-Immunopathology | Reno, NV | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Sutterhealth | Lab Assistant II | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $63,257 |
| Clemson University | Laboratory Assistant-Clemson Center for Human Genetics | Greenwood, SC | 06/30/2025 | $25,670 |
| Healthcare Support Staffing | Lab Assistant | Las Vegas, NV | 06/29/2025 | $27,131 |
| Idexx Laboratories | Temporary Laboratory Assistant (Days) | Glen Burnie, MD | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | Lab Assistant II | Tampa, FL | 06/28/2025 | $37,044 |
| Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | Lab Assistant (Specimen Technician I) | Greensboro, NC | 06/28/2025 | $37,044 |
| Catholic Health Initiatives | Laboratory Assistant | Omaha, NE | 06/28/2025 | $36,439 |
| Citrus Valley Health Partners | Laboratory Assistant--Nights-QVH | West Covina, CA | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Monument Health | Laboratory Assistant I | Rapid City, SD | 06/28/2025 | $36,001 |
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