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Director of laboratory operations salary
Average director of laboratory operations salary
$86,167
The salary for a Director of Laboratory Operations varies significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific industry. As of October 2025, the average annual salary stands at $86,167, with hourly wages around $41. In states like California and New York, salaries can reach higher levels due to the demand for skilled professionals in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
Experience plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level directors might earn less than their seasoned counterparts, with seasoned professionals commanding salaries well above the average. For instance, those with over ten years of experience can see earnings significantly exceed $100,000.
To enhance your earning potential, consider roles in specialized laboratories or management positions where operational efficiency is paramount. This role not only ensures a rewarding salary but also offers the chance to lead teams and influence laboratory standards, making it an attractive career path for those in the field.
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Where can a Director Of Laboratory Operations earn more?
Director of laboratory operations salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level director of laboratory operations | $35,500 | $17.06 |
| Mid-level director of laboratory operations | $54,800 | $26.35 |
| Senior-level director of laboratory operations | $99,400 | $47.78 |
Director of laboratory operations salary estimates from across the web
Average director of laboratory operations salary by state
The highest-paying states for directors of laboratory operations are Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The lowest average director of laboratory operations salary states are Kansas, Montana, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for directors of laboratory operations
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $98,592 | $47.40 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $121,840 | $58.58 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $131,513 | $63.23 |
| 4 | Alaska | $104,976 | $50.47 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $123,700 | $59.47 |
| 6 | New York | $119,238 | $57.33 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $134,193 | $64.52 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $90,971 | $43.74 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $91,852 | $44.16 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $91,111 | $43.80 |
| 11 | Michigan | $88,958 | $42.77 |
| 12 | Ohio | $87,418 | $42.03 |
| 13 | Maryland | $110,243 | $53.00 |
| 14 | Maine | $88,608 | $42.60 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $87,358 | $42.00 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $85,945 | $41.32 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $108,584 | $52.20 |
| 18 | Indiana | $86,547 | $41.61 |
| 19 | California | $100,873 | $48.50 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $80,873 | $38.88 |
| 21 | Delaware | $97,190 | $46.73 |
| 22 | Virginia | $98,595 | $47.40 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $83,341 | $40.07 |
| 24 | Florida | $76,812 | $36.93 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $80,150 | $38.53 |
| 26 | Alabama | $73,686 | $35.43 |
| 27 | Iowa | $78,463 | $37.72 |
| 28 | Washington | $87,388 | $42.01 |
| 29 | Arizona | $81,530 | $39.20 |
| 30 | Colorado | $86,823 | $41.74 |
| 31 | Illinois | $84,710 | $40.73 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $67,643 | $32.52 |
| 33 | Texas | $71,033 | $34.15 |
| 34 | Idaho | $69,574 | $33.45 |
| 35 | Vermont | $77,458 | $37.24 |
| 36 | Missouri | $71,965 | $34.60 |
| 37 | Oregon | $78,219 | $37.61 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $71,289 | $34.27 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $67,612 | $32.51 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $70,659 | $33.97 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $56,893 | $27.35 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $73,474 | $35.32 |
| 43 | Kansas | $65,148 | $31.32 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $68,171 | $32.77 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $57,835 | $27.81 |
| 46 | Georgia | $68,070 | $32.73 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $50,006 | $24.04 |
| 48 | Montana | $57,903 | $27.84 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $71,616 | $34.43 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $53,323 | $25.64 |
| 51 | Utah | $65,668 | $31.57 |
Highest paying cities for directors of laboratory operations
The highest-paying cities for directors of laboratory operations are Boston, MA, New York, NY, and Santa Rosa, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $122,267 | $58.78 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $119,829 | $57.61 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $114,679 | $55.13 |
| 4 | East Providence, RI | $108,653 | $52.24 |
| 5 | Richmond, VA | $98,399 | $47.31 |
| 6 | Durham, NC | $93,637 | $45.02 |
| 7 | Akron, OH | $90,197 | $43.36 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | $89,590 | $43.07 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | $88,302 | $42.45 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $86,980 | $41.82 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $86,440 | $41.56 |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | $85,746 | $41.22 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $77,237 | $37.13 |
| 14 | Fort Myers, FL | $76,215 | $36.64 |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO | $70,864 | $34.07 |
| 16 | Houston, TX | $70,668 | $33.98 |
Director of laboratory operations salary details
A director of laboratory operations's salary ranges from $49,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $148,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a director of laboratory operations's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $148,000 | $12,333 | $71 |
| 75th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| Average | $86,167 | $7,181 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
Highest paying director of laboratory operations jobs
The highest paying types of directors of laboratory operations are senior director, operations, director, technical operations, and executive director of operations.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managing Director | $129,690 | $10,808 | $62.35 | 81,022 |
| Division Director | $120,757 | $10,063 | $58.06 | 63,545 |
| District Director | $100,695 | $8,391 | $48.41 | 57,276 |
| Business Director | $124,563 | $10,380 | $59.89 | 137,880 |
| Store Director | $56,596 | $4,716 | $27.21 | 225,468 |
| Area Director | $100,433 | $8,369 | $48.29 | 47,326 |
Top companies hiring directors of laboratory operations now:
Which companies pay directors of laboratory operations the most?
Director of laboratory operations salaries at Meta and Roane General Hosp are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of laboratory operations salary at companies like Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. and Stanford Health Care are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $157,843 | $75.89 |
| 2 | Roane General Hosp | $142,308 | $68.42 |
| 3 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. | $136,091 | $65.43 |
| 4 | Stanford Health Care | $134,198 | $64.52 |
| 5 | Kaiser Permanente | $133,102 | $63.99 |
| 6 | Abbott | $129,746 | $62.38 |
| 7 | Seagen | $128,273 | $61.67 |
| 8 | Johnson & Johnson | $124,070 | $59.65 |
| 9 | Alere | $119,378 | $57.39 |
| 10 | Nokia | $118,820 | $57.13 |
| 11 | ELLKAY | $117,756 | $56.61 |
| 12 | Quanterix | $114,596 | $55.09 |
| 13 | Harvard University | $106,025 | $50.97 |
| 14 | Vertellus | $104,149 | $50.07 |
| 15 | CACI International | $103,071 | $49.55 |
| 16 | Mount Sinai Health System | $101,695 | $48.89 |
| 17 | NeoGenomics Laboratories | $100,958 | $48.54 |
| 18 | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | $99,032 | $47.61 |
| 19 | Quest Global | $94,657 | $45.51 |
| 20 | Pharmaceutical Product Development | $91,972 | $44.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Director of laboratory operations salary trends
The average director of laboratory operations salary has risen by $7,066 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of laboratory operations earned $79,101 annually, but today, they earn $86,167 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for directors of laboratory operations over the last decade.
Compare director of laboratory operations salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average director of laboratory operations salary over time
Compare director of laboratory operations salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Director of laboratory operations salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $86,200 | $41.43 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $83,800 | $40.28 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | $83,900 | $40.34 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $83,500 | $40.13 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $82,600 | $39.69 | +1.6% |
Recently added director of laboratory operations salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iqvia | Associate Director Laboratory Operations-Antibody Discovery Services | Durham, NC | 04/29/2025 | $134,400 |
| Penn State University | Director of Laboratory Operations | Parkesburg, PA | 04/22/2025 | $97,100 |
| Sonic Healthcare USA | Associate Director Laboratory Operations | Hicksville, NY | 04/07/2025 | $190,000 |
| LMSI Dba Lighthouse Lab Services | Director of RCM Operations, Laboratory | Charlotte, NC | 03/28/2025 | $100,000 |
| Amazon | Ai/Ml Operations TPM, Annapurna Labs | Austin, TX | 03/27/2025 | $133,900 |
| Aspectbiosystems | Lab Operations Co-Op | Vancouver, WA | 03/26/2025 | $36,000 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Ai/Ml Operations TPM, Annapurna Labs | Austin, TX | 03/22/2025 | $133,900 |
| Amazon | Ai/Ml Operations TPM, Annapurna Labs | Cupertino, CA | 03/22/2025 | $133,900 |
| Entegris | Analytical Organic Lab Co-Op | Billerica, MA | 03/19/2025 | $41,740 |
| Entegris, Inc. | Analytical Organic Lab Co-Op | Billerica, MA | 03/18/2025 | $41,740 |
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