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Laboratory internship salary
Average laboratory internship salary
$35,305
Average Laboratory Internship Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a laboratory internship stands at $35,305 per year, translating to around $17 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, specific industry, and level of experience.
Where Can Laboratory Interns Earn More?
Interns in states like California and Massachusetts typically earn higher salaries, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in these regions. Additionally, urban areas often offer more competitive pay than rural locations.
Highest Paying Cities for Laboratory Interns
Some of the top cities for laboratory internships include San Francisco, Boston, and New York City, where salaries can exceed the national average. These cities not only provide higher pay but also abundant opportunities for networking and professional development.
Conclusion
Laboratory internships are an excellent way to gain practical experience while earning a competitive salary. As you embark on your career path, consider exploring various locations and industries to maximize your earning potential and professional growth.
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Where can a Laboratory Internship earn more?
Average laboratory internship salary by state
The highest-paying states for laboratory interns are Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. The lowest average laboratory internship salary states are South Dakota, Montana, and Oregon.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for laboratory interns
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $44,503 | $21.40 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $41,922 | $20.15 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $45,829 | $22.03 |
| 4 | Vermont | $37,850 | $18.20 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $37,692 | $18.12 |
| 6 | California | $41,662 | $20.03 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $46,821 | $22.51 |
| 8 | New York | $38,504 | $18.51 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $40,503 | $19.47 |
| 10 | Washington | $35,530 | $17.08 |
| 11 | Illinois | $39,354 | $18.92 |
| 12 | Iowa | $33,412 | $16.06 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $34,438 | $16.56 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $34,182 | $16.43 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $33,054 | $15.89 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $33,102 | $15.91 |
| 17 | Maryland | $35,557 | $17.09 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $38,243 | $18.39 |
| 19 | Texas | $35,927 | $17.27 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $34,504 | $16.59 |
| 21 | Alaska | $34,162 | $16.42 |
| 22 | Maine | $32,930 | $15.83 |
| 23 | Delaware | $36,014 | $17.31 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $31,622 | $15.20 |
| 25 | Virginia | $36,033 | $17.32 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $37,431 | $18.00 |
| 27 | Ohio | $30,956 | $14.88 |
| 28 | Michigan | $30,422 | $14.63 |
| 29 | Arizona | $31,858 | $15.32 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $32,870 | $15.80 |
| 31 | Missouri | $32,351 | $15.55 |
| 32 | Idaho | $29,106 | $13.99 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $31,187 | $14.99 |
| 34 | Georgia | $32,101 | $15.43 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $28,841 | $13.87 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $30,739 | $14.78 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $25,858 | $12.43 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $29,877 | $14.36 |
| 39 | Nevada | $29,579 | $14.22 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $30,067 | $14.46 |
| 41 | Kansas | $28,118 | $13.52 |
| 42 | Colorado | $31,384 | $15.09 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $26,202 | $12.60 |
| 44 | Oregon | $25,207 | $12.12 |
| 45 | Montana | $25,455 | $12.24 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $28,969 | $13.93 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $28,390 | $13.65 |
| 48 | Florida | $24,919 | $11.98 |
| 49 | Utah | $23,974 | $11.53 |
| 50 | Indiana | $26,159 | $12.58 |
| 51 | Alabama | $24,694 | $11.87 |
Highest paying cities for laboratory interns
The highest-paying cities for laboratory interns are Jersey City, NJ, El Paso de Robles, CA, and Beverly, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jersey City, NJ | $45,964 | $22.10 |
| 2 | El Paso de Robles, CA | $42,393 | $20.38 |
| 3 | Beverly, MA | $41,456 | $19.93 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $39,603 | $19.04 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $38,281 | $18.40 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $38,115 | $18.32 |
| 7 | El Paso, TX | $37,648 | $18.10 |
| 8 | Norfolk, VA | $35,809 | $17.22 |
| 9 | Rockville, MD | $35,298 | $16.97 |
| 10 | Richland, WA | $35,044 | $16.85 |
| 11 | Green Bay, WI | $33,651 | $16.18 |
| 12 | Parkersburg, WV | $31,663 | $15.22 |
| 13 | Greenville, NC | $31,579 | $15.18 |
| 14 | Boulder, CO | $31,461 | $15.13 |
| 15 | Lincoln, NE | $31,091 | $14.95 |
| 16 | Mishawaka, IN | $27,073 | $13.02 |
| 17 | Tampa, FL | $25,250 | $12.14 |
| 18 | Hillsboro, OR | $25,165 | $12.10 |
Laboratory internship salary details
A laboratory internship's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $48,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a laboratory internship's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $35,305 | $2,942 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying laboratory internship jobs
The highest paying types of laboratory interns are associate scientist, research and development assistant, and assistant research scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Research Technician | $43,034 | $3,586 | $20.69 | 64,786 |
| Graduate Research Student | $34,658 | $2,888 | $16.66 | 58,921 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Laboratory Researcher | $27,760 | $2,313 | $13.35 | 57,359 |
Which companies pay laboratory interns the most?
Laboratory internship salaries at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Santa Clara Valley Water District are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average laboratory internship salary at companies like Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and National Renewable Energy Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $63,831 | $30.69 |
| 2 | Santa Clara Valley Water District | $43,464 | $20.90 |
| 3 | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute | $42,745 | $20.55 |
| 4 | National Renewable Energy Laboratory | $42,213 | $20.29 |
| 5 | HDR | $41,612 | $20.01 |
| 6 | BNP Paribas | $40,763 | $19.60 |
| 7 | Intel | $40,615 | $19.53 |
| 8 | Schreiber Foods | $38,759 | $18.63 |
| 9 | First Solar | $38,384 | $18.45 |
| 10 | Washington State University | $38,065 | $18.30 |
| 11 | Johns Manville | $37,714 | $18.13 |
| 12 | Elementis | $37,355 | $17.96 |
| 13 | Renesas Electronics | $37,132 | $17.85 |
| 14 | Veolia Water Tech | $36,732 | $17.66 |
| 15 | Tenet Healthcare | $36,696 | $17.64 |
| 16 | New America | $36,610 | $17.60 |
| 17 | Sierra Lobo | $36,230 | $17.42 |
| 18 | City of Philadelphia | $36,098 | $17.35 |
| 19 | Kelly Services | $36,042 | $17.33 |
| 20 | Treasury Wine Estates | $35,674 | $17.15 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Laboratory Internship salary by industry
The average laboratory internship salary varies across industries:
- The average laboratory internship salary in the technology industry is $48,851, the highest of any industry.
- The average laboratory internship salary in the finance industry is $38,469.
- Laboratory interns in the telecommunication industry earn an average salary of $34,372, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for laboratory interns
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $48,851 | $23.49 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $38,469 | $18.49 |
| 3 | Professional | $38,346 | $18.44 |
| 4 | Health Care | $35,462 | $17.05 |
| 5 | Government | $35,420 | $17.03 |
| 6 | Education | $34,690 | $16.68 |
| 7 | Telecommunication | $34,372 | $16.52 |
High paying laboratory internship jobs
Laboratory internship salary trends
The average laboratory internship salary has risen by $5,226 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average laboratory internship earned $30,079 annually, but today, they earn $35,305 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for laboratory interns over the last decade.
Compare laboratory internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average laboratory internship salary over time
Compare laboratory internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Laboratory internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,300 | $16.97 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $34,900 | $16.80 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $33,900 | $16.30 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $33,400 | $16.04 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $32,400 | $15.57 | +2.0% |
Recently added laboratory internship salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Health System | Intern-Undergraduate-Kay LAB-Temporary | Rochester, MN | 06/29/2025 | $38,610 |
| TWE Global | Harvest Laboratory Intern-Beringer Vineyards | Napa, CA | 06/27/2025 | $41,740 |
| Syensqo | Lab Intern | The Woodlands, TX | 06/27/2025 | $45,914 |
| Treasury Wine Estates | Harvest Laboratory Intern-Beringer Vineyards | Napa, CA | 06/26/2025 | $41,740 |
| Foley Family Wines & Spirits | Harvest Lab Intern-Chateau ST. Jean | Kane, IL | 06/21/2025 | $40,697 |
| The University of Chicago | Temporary Globus Labs Intern-Machine Learning | Chicago, IL | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
| Duckhorn Portfolio Inc. | Harvest Cellar/Lab Intern | Napa, CA | 06/16/2025 | $41,740 |
| Crimson Wine Group Ltd. | 2025 Harvest Lab Intern-Double Canyon Vineyards | West Richland, WA | 06/15/2025 | $35,479 |
| Eurofins Horti | Intern, Gdms | EAG Laboratories | Syracuse, NY | 06/14/2025 | $39,653 |
| NPR | Artificial Intelligence Labs Internship-Fall/Winter 2025 | Ione, WA | 06/13/2025 | $41,740 |
Laboratory internship salary FAQs
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