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Molecular biologist salary
Average molecular biologist salary
$73,763
Understanding the Molecular Biologist Salary
The average salary for a molecular biologist is approximately $73,763 per year, equating to around $35 per hour. This figure reflects a range of salaries influenced by experience, location, and the industry in which the biologist works. For instance, professionals employed in pharmaceutical companies or research institutions often earn higher wages compared to those in academia.
Salary by State
Different states offer varying salary ranges, with locations such as California and Massachusetts typically providing the highest compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. In contrast, states with lower living costs may offer salaries that reflect those local economies.
Career Opportunities
As a molecular biologist, you can explore diverse career paths in research, clinical laboratories, and biotechnology firms. These roles not only promise competitive salaries but also the chance to be at the forefront of scientific innovation. Understanding industry trends and salary expectations can help you make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Molecular Biologist earn more?
Molecular biologist salary estimates from across the web
Average molecular biologist salary by state
The highest-paying states for molecular biologists are Hawaii, Alaska, and Massachusetts. The lowest average molecular biologist salary states are Wisconsin, Idaho, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for molecular biologists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $94,719 | $45.54 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $85,075 | $40.90 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $84,580 | $40.66 |
| 4 | Utah | $79,417 | $38.18 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $80,532 | $38.72 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $97,711 | $46.98 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $80,210 | $38.56 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $84,728 | $40.73 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $79,671 | $38.30 |
| 10 | Nevada | $76,878 | $36.96 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $80,170 | $38.54 |
| 12 | New York | $79,137 | $38.05 |
| 13 | Montana | $73,518 | $35.35 |
| 14 | California | $80,090 | $38.50 |
| 15 | Maryland | $78,271 | $37.63 |
| 16 | Delaware | $78,915 | $37.94 |
| 17 | Indiana | $77,589 | $37.30 |
| 18 | Washington | $75,201 | $36.15 |
| 19 | Vermont | $74,923 | $36.02 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $77,791 | $37.40 |
| 21 | Georgia | $75,887 | $36.48 |
| 22 | Oregon | $73,845 | $35.50 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $69,435 | $33.38 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $75,345 | $36.22 |
| 25 | Michigan | $66,574 | $32.01 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $73,091 | $35.14 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $68,498 | $32.93 |
| 28 | Maine | $71,011 | $34.14 |
| 29 | Virginia | $72,566 | $34.89 |
| 30 | Arizona | $69,403 | $33.37 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $67,385 | $32.40 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $68,347 | $32.86 |
| 33 | Illinois | $67,773 | $32.58 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $65,449 | $31.47 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $66,040 | $31.75 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $66,182 | $31.82 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,476 | $31.48 |
| 38 | Alabama | $64,936 | $31.22 |
| 39 | Kansas | $63,483 | $30.52 |
| 40 | Colorado | $63,524 | $30.54 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $61,011 | $29.33 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $58,861 | $28.30 |
| 43 | Ohio | $61,395 | $29.52 |
| 44 | Texas | $63,786 | $30.67 |
| 45 | Florida | $59,955 | $28.82 |
| 46 | Idaho | $59,768 | $28.73 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $59,842 | $28.77 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $60,140 | $28.91 |
| 49 | Missouri | $57,966 | $27.87 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $55,328 | $26.60 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $57,367 | $27.58 |
Highest paying cities for molecular biologists
The highest-paying cities for molecular biologists are Urban Honolulu, HI, San Francisco, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $98,164 | $47.19 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $86,754 | $41.71 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $85,144 | $40.93 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $84,795 | $40.77 |
| 5 | Piscataway, NJ | $80,172 | $38.54 |
| 6 | Shirley, NY | $79,658 | $38.30 |
| 7 | Silver Spring, MD | $78,161 | $37.58 |
| 8 | Carmel, IN | $77,662 | $37.34 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $76,027 | $36.55 |
| 10 | Manassas, VA | $73,286 | $35.23 |
| 11 | Wheeling, IL | $68,083 | $32.73 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $66,495 | $31.97 |
| 13 | Huntsville, AL | $65,842 | $31.65 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $64,050 | $30.79 |
| 15 | Oak Ridge, TN | $61,536 | $29.58 |
| 16 | Athens, OH | $61,295 | $29.47 |
| 17 | Gainesville, FL | $60,091 | $28.89 |
| 18 | Madison, WI | $59,447 | $28.58 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $58,591 | $28.17 |
| 20 | Fayetteville, AR | $55,294 | $26.58 |
Molecular biologist salary details
A molecular biologist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a molecular biologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| Average | $73,763 | $6,147 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying molecular biologist jobs
The highest paying types of molecular biologists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Technician | $43,034 | $3,586 | $20.69 | 64,786 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Staff Scientist | $93,941 | $7,828 | $45.16 | 121,054 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for molecular biologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Howard Whiteman
Professor of Biological Sciences, Director of the Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
Top companies hiring molecular biologists now:
Which companies pay molecular biologists the most?
Molecular biologist salaries at Novartis and Eli Lilly and Company are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average molecular biologist salary at companies like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Abbott are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novartis | $99,163 | $47.67 |
| 2 | Eli Lilly and Company | $98,900 | $47.55 |
| 3 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $92,783 | $44.61 |
| 4 | Abbott | $90,730 | $43.62 |
| 5 | Battelle | $89,087 | $42.83 |
| 6 | University of California | $84,161 | $40.46 |
| 7 | Eurofins | $82,665 | $39.74 |
| 8 | United States Department of Justice | $81,091 | $38.99 |
| 9 | Roivant Sciences | $80,751 | $38.82 |
| 10 | Life Tech International | $80,513 | $38.71 |
| 11 | Integrated Resources | $79,526 | $38.23 |
| 12 | Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies | $78,841 | $37.90 |
| 13 | Sana Biotechnology | $78,392 | $37.69 |
| 14 | Monsanto | $78,295 | $37.64 |
| 15 | Lilly & Company | $78,274 | $37.63 |
| 16 | US Meat Animal Research Center | $78,253 | $37.62 |
| 17 | INEOS USA LLC | $77,837 | $37.42 |
| 18 | DNA Response | $77,684 | $37.35 |
| 19 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $77,652 | $37.33 |
| 20 | Pace Analytical | $77,643 | $37.33 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Molecular Biologist salary by industry
The average molecular biologist salary varies across industries:
- The average molecular biologist salary in the health care industry is $83,259, the highest of any industry.
- The average molecular biologist salary in the finance industry is $79,251.
- Molecular biologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $78,254, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for molecular biologists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $83,259 | $40.03 |
| 2 | Agriculture | $79,251 | $38.10 |
| 3 | Technology | $79,214 | $38.08 |
| 4 | Government | $78,254 | $37.62 |
High paying molecular biologist jobs
Molecular biologist salary trends
The average molecular biologist salary has risen by $12,644 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average molecular biologist earned $61,119 annually, but today, they earn $73,763 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for molecular biologists over the last decade.
Compare molecular biologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average molecular biologist salary over time
Compare molecular biologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Molecular biologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,800 | $35.46 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $70,500 | $33.91 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $68,700 | $33.05 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $66,400 | $31.94 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $63,700 | $30.63 | -0.5% |
Recently added molecular biologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau Veritas | Molecular Biologist | Indianapolis, IN | 06/24/2025 | $50,088 |
| Schrdinger | In Vitro Biologist/Molecular Pharmacologist | Cambridge, MA | 06/09/2025 | $120,000 |
| Kelly Services | Molecular Biologist (Antibody Discovery) | Spring House, PA | 06/05/2025 | $93,915 |
| Arcadia Science | Molecular Biologist | Emeryville, CA | 05/09/2025 | $130,000 |
| Schrdinger | In Vitro Biologist/Molecular Pharmacologist | Cambridge, MA | 04/28/2025 | $120,000 |
| Revolution Technologies | Molecular Biologist | Saint Louis, MO | 04/26/2025 | $83,480 |
| Bureau Veritas | Molecular Biologist II | Indianapolis, IN | 03/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Schrdinger | In Vitro Biologist/Molecular Pharmacologist | Cambridge, MA | 03/26/2025 | $120,000 |
| Actalent | Molecular Biologist | Chesterfield, MO | 03/21/2025 | $62,610 |
| San Jose State University | Open Rank-Director of Clinical Laboratory Science and Clinical Genetic Molecular Biologist Scienti | San Jose, CA | 02/25/2025 | $135,000 |
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