Microbiologist Salary

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How Much Does a Microbiologist Earn In The United States?

Average Yearly Salary

Updated December 31, 2020

$59,000

$43,000

$59,000

$82,000

The average microbiologist makes about $59,448 per year. That's $28.58 per hour! Those in the lower 10%, such as entry-level positions, only make about $43,000 a year. Meanwhile, the top 10% are sitting pretty with an average salary of $82,000. Many of microbiologists seem to be drawn to pharmaceutical and health care companies. Unless they care more about money, in which case microbiologists tend to work at retail, health care, and pharmaceutical companies. Even the employees who work in these industries can confirm that's where the money is. Although money is important, a lot of people base their career decisions solely on location. That's why we found that California, Virginia and Arizona pay microbiologists the highest salaries.

Best Paying Cities

Fremont, CA

$86,586

Cambridge, MA

$68,477

Tucson, AZ

$66,694

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Where Microbiologists Earn The Most

The darker areas on the map show where microbiologists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary

How Much Do Microbiologists Earn In Different Cities?

Throughout the U.S., the average salary for a microbiologist is roughly $59,448 per year, which boils down to $28.58 per hour. Interestingly enough, microbiologists have the highest salaries in Fremont, CA at about $86,586 per year. For those who are just starting out, the average entry-level salary in Fremont, CA is $53,000. Additionally, microbiologists make more than the average salary in Cambridge, MA, Tucson, AZ, Fargo, ND, Gaithersburg, MD, and Duluth, GA. On a more broad level, microbiologist salaries are highest in California, Virginia, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, and North Dakota. On the contrary, Indiana, New Mexico, and Kansas offer the lowest microbiologist salaries.

City

Average Salary

Fremont, CA

$87k$86,586

Cambridge, MA

$68k$68,477

Tucson, AZ

$67k$66,694

Fargo, ND

$66k$65,514

Gaithersburg, MD

$64k$64,404

Duluth, GA

$61k$61,037

New York, NY

$60k$59,697

Iowa City, IA

$56k$56,257

Philadelphia, PA

$56k$55,776

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$52k$51,976

$30k

$111k

High Paying Microbiologist Jobs

Which Companies Pay Microbiologists The Most?

If you want to get paid the most as a microbiologist, being employed by a company such as Boston Scientific or Amgen would be a smart choice, as they are the highest paying companies in this field. Additionally, companies like Exova and HJF also report highly competitive salaries for microbiologists.

Company

Average Salary

$80k$80,023

$80k$80,023

$80k$79,875

$79k$78,938

$78k$77,657

$77k$77,404

$77k$77,191

$77k$77,030

$77k$76,804

$77k$76,767

$69k

$86k

The largest raises come from changing jobs.

See what's out there.

How would you rate the starting salaries for graduates in this field, as well as the salary prospects down the line as they advance in their careers?

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.