Microbiologist Salary
Average Microbiologist Salary
$56,411 yearlyTo create our salary estimates, Zippia starts with data published in publicly available sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC) Show More
How much does a Microbiologist make?
Microbiologists make $56,411 per year on average, or $27.12 per hour, in the United States. Microbiologists on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $38,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $82,000.
Location impacts how much a microbiologist can expect to make. Microbiologists make the most in California, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, and New Jersey.
Highest Paying States For Microbiologists
The darker areas on the map show where microbiologists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
- State View
- County View
Microbiologist average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $76,326 | $36.70 | 1,435 |
| 2 | California | $79,992 | $38.46 | 2,057 |
| 3 | Vermont | $72,774 | $34.99 | 34 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,052 | $31.76 | 383 |
| 5 | Maryland | $58,111 | $27.94 | 426 |
| 6 | Virginia | $66,986 | $32.20 | 248 |
| 7 | New York | $54,308 | $26.11 | 685 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $53,845 | $25.89 | 138 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $49,421 | $23.76 | 47 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $48,020 | $23.09 | 484 |
| 11 | Oregon | $51,009 | $24.52 | 153 |
| 12 | Georgia | $61,276 | $29.46 | 127 |
| 13 | Michigan | $46,245 | $22.23 | 331 |
| 14 | Washington | $45,823 | $22.03 | 569 |
| 15 | Arizona | $54,712 | $26.30 | 90 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $49,126 | $23.62 | 47 |
| 17 | Nevada | $50,585 | $24.32 | 44 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $52,645 | $25.31 | 9 |
| 19 | Maine | $47,993 | $23.07 | 29 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $46,860 | $22.53 | 29 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $45,155 | $21.71 | 117 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $42,820 | $20.59 | 17 |
| 23 | Utah | $41,888 | $20.14 | 114 |
| 24 | Colorado | $46,050 | $22.14 | 128 |
| 25 | Delaware | $43,106 | $20.72 | 34 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $43,735 | $21.03 | 34 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $43,712 | $21.02 | 32 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $38,361 | $18.44 | 189 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $39,952 | $19.21 | 205 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $40,636 | $19.54 | 94 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $44,883 | $21.58 | 22 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $39,367 | $18.93 | 251 |
| 33 | Alaska | $40,075 | $19.27 | 28 |
| 34 | Alabama | $43,452 | $20.89 | 25 |
| 35 | Iowa | $40,088 | $19.27 | 68 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $38,488 | $18.50 | 54 |
| 37 | Missouri | $38,416 | $18.47 | 181 |
| 38 | Texas | $37,472 | $18.02 | 572 |
| 39 | Idaho | $39,405 | $18.94 | 28 |
| 40 | Illinois | $39,658 | $19.07 | 302 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $38,630 | $18.57 | 59 |
| 42 | Florida | $40,306 | $19.38 | 261 |
| 43 | Ohio | $35,407 | $17.02 | 277 |
| 44 | Montana | $37,989 | $18.26 | 26 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $37,332 | $17.95 | 18 |
| 46 | Indiana | $35,853 | $17.24 | 133 |
| 47 | Kansas | $32,122 | $15.44 | 70 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $30,460 | $14.64 | 58 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $35,794 | $17.21 | 35 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $34,103 | $16.40 | 30 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $29,488 | $14.18 | 13 |
Highest Paying Cities For Microbiologists
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfield, CA | $85,292 | $41.01 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $76,535 | $36.80 |
| 3 | Atlanta, GA | $60,762 | $29.21 |
| 4 | Rockville, MD | $57,435 | $27.61 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $54,228 | $26.07 |
| 6 | Tucson, AZ | $53,539 | $25.74 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $48,936 | $23.53 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $45,753 | $22.00 |
| 9 | Ann Arbor, MI | $45,719 | $21.98 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $44,938 | $21.60 |
| 11 | Huntsville, AL | $41,373 | $19.89 |
| 12 | Largo, FL | $40,907 | $19.67 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $39,793 | $19.13 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $38,493 | $18.51 |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO | $38,212 | $18.37 |
Microbiologist Salary Details
What is a Microbiologist's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| Average | $56,411 | $4,701 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Average Salary By Related Titles
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Internship | $34,212 | $2,851 | $16.45 | 90,970 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $37,219 | $3,102 | $17.89 | 86,476 |
| Research Technician | $41,218 | $3,435 | $19.82 | 64,786 |
| Chemical Technician | $39,796 | $3,316 | $19.13 | 40,191 |
| Research Scientist | $84,125 | $7,010 | $40.44 | 93,013 |
| Research Chemist | $78,999 | $6,583 | $37.98 | 53,769 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for Microbiologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Patrick Schlievert Ph.D.
Chair, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa
Undergrads who obtain BA/BS can expect a starting salary of $40K-50K, plus fringe benefits, in a university setting. These numbers are set by grant funding. Industry salaries are perhaps $10K higher. Wages for MS folks are rising, but I have seen little evidence of this truly happening. Ph.D. faculty salaries at small colleges are almost always nine months and $40K to $100K max. For large Universities and significant industries today, the starting salaries are usually $100K and peak at $300K as prominent full professors with lots of grant funding or accepting directorships in companies.
These are proportionately scaled down for nine-month appointments, but you can generate additional summer salary from grants. If you go with a start-up, your salary will likely also be in the $100K range, but you will probably also have to write SBIR grant applications, generating additional wages. The critical thing with small companies is that you can gain experience that may get you the desired job in a large company. I became chair of M&I because I wanted to help the faculty! That is my only desired legacy. That is often not why chairs are hired, though. Department chairs in large universities often make $250K to $350K; this is quite acceptable.Show more
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Microbiologists The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Estée Lauder | $67,578 | $32.49 | 8 |
| 2 | MannKind | $67,436 | $32.42 | 1 |
| 3 | L'Oréal | $66,697 | $32.07 | |
| 4 | Guittard Chocolate | $66,140 | $31.80 | |
| 5 | Colgate-Palmolive | $65,343 | $31.41 | 2 |
| 6 | PRO Unlimited | $64,715 | $31.11 | |
| 7 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $64,420 | $30.97 | 2 |
| 8 | Jabil | $64,294 | $30.91 | 2 |
| 9 | Leprino Foods | $63,989 | $30.76 | 4 |
| 10 | Heartland Food Products Group | $63,986 | $30.76 | 1 |
| 11 | Novartis | $63,897 | $30.72 | 4 |
| 12 | Innophos | $63,772 | $30.66 | |
| 13 | Medtronic | $63,606 | $30.58 | 14 |
| 14 | Formulated Solutions | $63,496 | $30.53 | |
| 15 | Gillette | $63,490 | $30.52 | |
| 16 | Mentor | $62,888 | $30.23 | 2 |
| 17 | Mettler-Toledo International | $62,798 | $30.19 | |
| 18 | Ben Venue Laboratories Inc | $62,758 | $30.17 | |
| 19 | The Boston Beer Company | $62,588 | $30.09 | |
| 20 | Aqua | $62,573 | $30.08 |
How Much Do Microbiologists Make In Different Industries?
Here are some examples of how much a microbiologist salaries can based on different industries:
The manufacturing industry pays microbiologists an average salary of $60,376
The hospitality industry pay $60,080
The lowest paying industry for microbiologists is the retail industry. Microbiologists in this industry earn an average salary of $59,204
Highest Paying Industries For Microbiologists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $60,376 | $29.03 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $60,080 | $28.88 |
| 3 | Health Care | $59,496 | $28.60 |
| 4 | Pharmaceutical | $59,287 | $28.50 |
| 5 | Retail | $59,204 | $28.46 |
High Paying Microbiologist Jobs
Microbiologist Salary Trends
Average Microbiologist Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Microbiologist Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $56,400 | $27.12 | +10.4% |
| 2021 | $50,600 | $24.31 | +5.3% |
| 2020 | $47,900 | $23.02 | +2.4% |
| 2019 | $46,800 | $22.48 | +4.4% |
| 2018 | $44,700 | $21.48 | -1.0% |
Recently Added Microbiologist Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cdc Foundation | Microbiologist 3 | West Virginia | 05/31/2022 | $57,600 |
| Port of Long Beach | Microbiologist I-III | Long Beach, CA | 05/30/2022 | $60,114 |
| Actalent | Microbiologist Technician | Irvine, CA | 05/26/2022 | $43,827 |
| Actalent | Immediate Microbiologist | Raleigh, NC | 05/24/2022 | $48,001 |
| State of Indiana | Biowatch Microbiologist | Indianapolis, IN | 05/20/2022 | $44,910 |
| Tyson Foods | Lab Microbiologist | Waterloo, IA | 05/19/2022 | $42,992 |
| State of Arkansas | Microbiologist | Little Rock, AR | 05/15/2022 | $40,340 |
| Idaho Division of Human Resources | Microbiologist, Principal-Molecular | Boise, ID | 05/15/2022 | $53,560 |
| Actalent | Microbiologist Technician | Irvine, CA | 05/10/2022 | $43,827 |
| State of Connecticut | Microbiologist Hour HC | Rocky Hill, CT | 05/09/2022 | $59,393 |
Microbiologist Salaries FAQs
What state pays Microbiologists the most?
California pays Microbiologists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $79,992 per year, or $38.46 per hour.
How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a Microbiologist?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Microbiologist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Massachusetts you should be paid close to $76,326 per year.
What type of Microbiologist gets paid the most?
Scientist gets paid the most. Scientist made a median salary of $94,940. The best-paid 10 percent make $114,000, while the lowest-paid 10 percent make $78,000.
Do microbiologists get paid well?
Yes, microbiologists get paid well. They get paid around $85,000 a year. Employment of microbiologists is projected to grow five percent from 2020 to 2030, slower than the average for all occupations.
How much do beginning microbiologists make?
Beginning microbiologists make around $35,000 a year. These cities pay entry-level microbiologists the most:
New York City, NY
San Mateo, CA
Juneau, AK
Boston, MA
Berkeley, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Daly City, CA
Quincy, MA
Renton, WA
Minneapolis, MN
How much does a microbiologist with a Ph.D. make?
A microbiologist with a Ph.D. can make up to $90,000 a year. You need a Ph.D. in microbiology to work as a microbiologist at a college, university, or university-affiliated research facility.
What is the salary range for a microbiologist?
The salary range for a microbiologist is anywhere from $35,000-$100,000 a year. An entry-level employee with less than one year of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $43,885 based on 65 salaries.
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