Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for scientific technicians in the United States
Are scientific technician jobs in demand?
Scientific technician job and salary trends over time
Scientific technician jobs over time
Scientific technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,820 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,927 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,901 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,851 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,792 | 0.00% |
Average scientific technician salary over time
Scientific technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $40,956 | $19.69 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $40,532 | $19.49 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | $39,330 | $18.91 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $38,711 | $18.61 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $37,580 | $18.07 | +2.1% |
Scientific technician jobs by state
Most common states for scientific technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 748 | 11% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 58 | 9% |
| 3 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 105 | 8% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 71 | 7% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 48 | 6% |
| 6 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 307 | 5% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 274 | 5% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 261 | 5% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 259 | 5% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 49 | 5% |
| 11 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 551 | 4% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 416 | 4% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 148 | 4% |
| 14 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 72 | 4% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 70 | 4% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 48 | 4% |
| 17 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 30 | 4% |
| 18 | New York | 19,849,399 | 573 | 3% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 342 | 3% |
| 20 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 289 | 3% |
Scientific Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of scientific technician experts
Wright State University
Howard University, College of Medicine
Ripon College
Ripon College
California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo
University at Albany, State University of New York
Chatham University
University of Akron
University of Central Missouri
Elizabethtown College
Oakland University
Molloy College
Syracuse University
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Scientific Technician job market given the pandemic?
Dr. William Romine Ph.D.: The pandemic has placed a number of constraints on how we are able to socialize. The biggest trends center on navigating around these social constraints while facilitating quality educational experiences. Since more schooling is being done in the home, one trend we see is that parents are becoming more involved with teaching. Assuming this trend continues, it is conceivable that teachers may step into more of a consulting role where they are teaching the parents as well as the kids and providing suggestions for pedagogical and assessment best practices that can be carried out in the home. This is not completely new in special education but likely to become more widespread if the trend of virtual learning continues.
How have salaries changed over time for Scientific Technicians?
Dr. William Romine Ph.D.: It's difficult to provide a precise answer since it depends on a lot of factors. In my field of learning analytics, salaries depend on whether one chooses academia or industry, and the particular home department. The field of data science has a lot of options in terms of discipline, type of work, and location. Although it is not always easy to control our salary, this offers a lot of flexibility to consider cost of living and work-life balance in our long-term financial plans.
What type of skills will young Scientific Technicians need?
Dr. Janine Ziermann: The trend to be hyperflexible was already starting before the pandemic and became even more emphasized during the pandemic. Future workforce, both academic and research, will be required to think on their feet, learn to adapt immediately when unforeseen events occur, and be able to navigate a multitude of programs (teaching, collaboration, analyses, etc.). Being constantly aware of trends in teaching is a plus for all that apply for positions at universities.
Current and future graduate students have already proven to be resilient, a key skill that must continue. Clear communication is more important than ever with the increasing number of international students in graduate programs and international research collaborators necessary to complete vital areas of research for publications, grants, presentations, etc. Overall, graduate students should note what things they liked and disliked during their time in their respective program courses. They can then choose to keep some aspects and modify others when they are hired as faculty members, research post-docs, or research faculty in the next stages of their careers.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Scientific Technicians?
Robin Forbes-Lorman: Overall yes, but I believe Ripon college graduates are at no disadvantage. We have found ways to teach well and give students similar experiences. These graduates will be able to be flexible and adaptable; they have needed to take ownership for their learning-these are all good things.
What type of skills will young Scientific Technicians need?
Robin Forbes-Lorman: Quantitative reasoning, information processing. How to ask good questions and get an evidence-based answer (i.e. weed though the vast amount of information).
What experience really stands out on Scientific Technician resumes?
Robin Forbes-Lorman: Authentic problem solving in groups, as is done in our Catalyst 300 course. See Catalyst curriculum here- Ripon
Real writing and scholarship, which also occurs with faculty and Ripon (e.g. publishing peer review studies). For example, I recently published a paper with an undergraduate as first author.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Scientific Technicians?
Benjamin Grady Ph.D.: Much like every other facet of society, the global pandemic has, and will continue to impact college graduates. In the short term, the job market certainly looks different with priorities having changed. What the global pandemic has highlighted is the importance of careers relating to scientific research and medical and health care. Recent vaccine development relied on years of previous molecular research to understand immune response, transcription, and gene expression.
What type of skills will young Scientific Technicians need?
Benjamin Grady Ph.D.: I believe upcoming college graduates will still need to show the ability to solve problems, cooperate, and communicate effectively. Adaptability has allowed us to navigate many changes in the way we have operated over the past year. Graduates that possess diverse educational and service backgrounds are more likely to demonstrate the ability to adapt to changing conditions in the workplace.
What experience really stands out on Scientific Technician resumes?
Benjamin Grady Ph.D.: As I mentioned previously, demonstrating a broad range of experiences, skills, and abilities seems attractive to employers. College is more than just being present in the classroom and earning grades. In the field of biology, having hands-on research experience as an undergraduate really sticks out on resumes and CVs. Oftentimes these research experiences can open doors to admission into graduate programs or landing a job in the laboratory research field. Involvement in student groups, clubs, and other campus organizations can also make a difference when being evaluated for job opportunities and admission into advanced programs.
What general advice would you give to a Scientific Technician?
Pat Fidopiastis Ph.D.: In my experience, keeping an open mind and being confident was crucial to my success. When I was a third-year undergraduate, my mind was made up that I would be a medical doctor. But, I discovered a passion for microbiology research and realized that this could dovetail nicely with my desire to be in health professions. I secured a research position in a clinical lab working with gonorrhea. However, after a few months the PI abruptly informed me that he was retiring. I was directed to another lab that focused on gut microbial ecology of herbivorous fishes. This hardly sounded appealing, but it was my only option for microbiology research at my institution so I begrudgingly joined that lab.
I focused my efforts on developing molecular tools to study fish gut microbes at a time when PCR was a brand new tool and commercial DNA extraction kits didn't exist. The first time I looked at a fluorescence-stained specimen of gut contents under the microscope and saw a constellation of microbial shapes, sizes, and arrangements, I was hooked. My other passion is physical activity, especially water sports like swimming and surfing. I somehow managed to stumble on a field of microbiology that allowed me to spend some days in the lab, and others on a research vessel, free-diving off the coast to collect fish for my research. Aside from nurturing two of my passions, I never imagined that I was on the forefront of one of the greatest scientific revolutions of all time: the explosion of interest in gut microbial consortia and development of the molecular tools to study them!
This research opened my eyes to the importance of "good bacteria" and their role in the health of their animal and plant hosts. After completing a master's in the field of fish gut microbiology, for my Ph.D. research, I moved on to the "simpler" binary association between the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the squid Euprymna scolopes. Listening in on the conversation between V. fischeri and the squid was much easier than the cacophony of the fish gut association. I quickly learned that this was an elegant system for understanding the role of beneficial bacteria in host development and ecology. However, my ability to be open-minded was challenged yet again when my advisor abruptly announced that we were moving from LA to Honolulu. I thought my life was perfect in LA, so I didn't want to leave.
I weighed options of joining a new lab, but there were no other beneficial microbe-host interactions labs to smoothly transition to. Once again, I was pulled out of my comfort zone to a completely new life that I did not ask for. Once I stopped digging in my heels and accepted the way things were, Hawaii became home and provided some of the happiest memories of my life. Taking chances, embracing what life throws at you, and having the confidence to make the most of whatever situation you're in are perhaps the most valuable pearls of wisdom I can bestow on students that seek my advice.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Scientific Technician job market given the pandemic?
Pat Fidopiastis Ph.D.: My research on the association between a beneficial marine bacterium and a species of squid ground to a halt during the pandemic. However, it took very little effort to convert my molecular-oriented lab to the headquarters for SARS CoV2 wastewater surveillance at my university. In order to pull this off, additional skill sets needed to be developed quickly. For example, my graduate student needed to learn how to operate wastewater auto samplers and follow more rigorous safety protocols. By making this switch, money became available for salaries, equipment, and supplies, allowing me to continue to operate my lab. My own experience is playing out across the entire biotech industry. The pandemic has forced companies to come up with strategies for becoming more nimble to handle rapidly changing circumstances.
Not surprisingly, the pandemic has invigorated vaccine and drug development, including repurposing older drugs, rapid diagnostic tools, gene editing in disease treatment and prevention, nucleic acid sequencing, immune therapy, and bioinformatics, among other pursuits. Companies with expertise in these technologies and the ability to quickly adapt them to emerging problems will always be among the winners. For example, Johnson & Johnson developed a vaccine platform for Ebola that was seamlessly adapted for use against SARS CoV2. As a result, they were able to quickly bring their vaccine to Phase 3 clinical trials and secure a promised payday of one billion dollars for a safe and effective vaccine.
What skills stand out on Scientific Technician resumes?
Douglas Conklin Ph.D.: The main skill that always stands out is research experience. Taking what you've learned in the classroom and applying it to a real-world problem is invaluable - and it's never too early to start. Research skills are highly transferable. Experience with thinking that is both objective and creative is useful in many fields - not just biology research. A recent study by the National Institute of Health concluded that obtaining an advanced degree in a research-based field is worth $1 million in additional earnings over your career - whether you stay in research or not. Being able to identify, understand and solve problems are skills that all organizations want their team members to have.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Scientific Technicians to find work opportunities?
Douglas Conklin Ph.D.: The good news is that there seem to be more and more positions in biological fields every year. There are opportunities in many locations. I often counsel students I know to think about the possibility of needing a plan B when considering where to work. Moving to an area of the country that has a concentration of organizations in your field will mean that you won't have to move if you want to change jobs - or are forced to do so. Since many people's lives get more complicated as they get older - spouses, children, other family - working in a part of the country that has a concentration of organizations in your field may make it less disruptive in the future. It often makes it easier to network with people in your field if they work down the street.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Scientific Technician job market given the pandemic?
John Dubé Ph.D.: I think the job market for students with a graduate degree in biology is very promising. With a Master's degree, students can teach at the Community College level as either adjunct instructors or full-time instructors, they could also teach at larger institutions, like Chatham, as adjuncts for lecture courses or laboratory sections. There are jobs in the pharmaceutical industry as technicians or junior scientists. Other industry jobs include work in ecology, software engineering, bioinformatics. Finally, there are positions in healthcare that overlap many of the potential jobs I've already listed.
One of the biggest trends is the capacity to work remotely and to obtain specific skills (i.e., data management).
What skills stand out on Scientific Technician resumes?
John Dubé Ph.D.: In terms of resumes, students need to demonstrate the soft skills. How did they use networking skills in school or at a job? How do they communicate effective, verbally and in writing? In what ways did their coursework or job help with critical thinking? Teamwork, a positive attitude, and leadership skills are also critically important. I also think that employers will want them to have the technical skill necessary to transition into a position (e.g., Zoom, Teams, word processing, spreadsheet management, and others specific to the particular field).
What experience really stands out on Scientific Technician resumes?
Dr. Randall J Mitchell: You will never have all the background needed for any particular position, but having a wide variety of experience and a record of responsibility and completion will help demonstrate that you can learn on the job. Any experience of any kind can be important for that demonstration. It's obviously nice if the experience is related to your desired job, but sometimes that's hard to do - build up to it in any way you can, and try to develop connections and network. Some of the best experiences come from being in the right place at the right time, and that is more likely if you are in a lot of different activities and get to know people. For field and environmental types, volunteer or paid work with park districts, time outdoors, and experience with identifying plants can make a big difference. Experience writing reports and presenting projects is important. And as an aside - grades aren't that important here. Focus on what you learn and what you can do, not just on getting good scores. Some of the best learning comes in the hardest things for you, so don't avoid hard classes that will be valuable.
What Scientific Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Randall J Mitchell: Writing clearly, demonstrating (and developing) responsibility, and anything even distantly related to your desired career is helpful. If you can do this for pay, that's obviously helpful and convenient, but you probably will need to do volunteer work, at least in part. For field and environmental biology students, get out hiking, fishing, hunting, botanizing, and managing the property. The more field experience you can get, the better. Use this time to sample and try as many options that interest you as possible. Figure out what makes you happy and what you are good at. Or, you may need to use that time to make some money so you'll have a cushion once you return to school.
Dr. Scott Lankford Ph.D.
School ChairUniversity of Central Missouri
School of Natural Sciences
What Scientific Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Scott Lankford Ph.D.: A student can achieve many co-curricular experiences in a gap year that would add tremendous value to their degree. In the sciences, these include getting a job related to your area of interest to build critical experiences that can inform your future career direction, enrolling in small certificate programs to obtain credentials verifying specialized skills relevant to your desired career, and taking advantage of internship or research experiences that are still available. Unfortunately, those opportunities have been impacted by the pandemic, but they are still out there.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Scientific Technician job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Scott Lankford Ph.D.: The healthcare fields are experiencing high demand still, so I would predict a strong job market to continue in that sector. We also continue to see demand for graduates in technology and research-related careers, so I do not expect a decreased need for graduates in the sciences. If anything, the pandemic has either delayed or derailed some students on their path to the job market, so there might be increased initial competition, once everyone gets back on track.
What general advice would you give to a Scientific Technician?
Dr. Scott Lankford Ph.D.: Never stop networking in your discipline. The apparent impact of this is increased future opportunity, which causes people, happy with their situation, to focus inwardly on their organization. However, these networking experiences not only improve your professional capacity, but they sometimes lead to positive changes in your organization overall.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Scientific Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Jodi Lancaster Ph.D.: Wow, this is challenging to answer because the pace of change in biotechnology is so rapid. I expect we will see increased efficiencies in standard biotechnology techniques such as PCR, RT-PCR, and qPCR. The need to analyze vast data sets is already becoming necessary (i.e., use of data mining software, R programming, etc.). Assuming the mRNA-based COVID19 vaccines are successful, there may be opportunities to reformulate some current vaccines with a lower efficacy.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Scientific Technician job market given the pandemic?
Shailesh Lal: The recent advancement in vaccine technology from three different pharmaceutical giants Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, has completely altered the trending job market of this ongoing pandemic. Vaccines with more than 95% of predicted vaccination efficacy and their availability in the next few weeks have lit up a light at the end of the tunnel. Although the next several months are going to be deadly, according to CDC prediction, the availability of vaccination is likely to bring the pandemic to its knees by April-June next year. Accordingly, the economy will be bound in all sectors of life outside the norms of the essential workers. The job growth for bioengineers, particularly in biomedical engineering, is projected to grow by ~5% between 2019 to 2029, which is faster than the average projected for all other occupations in other fields of engineering.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Scientific Technicians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Shailesh Lal: Biomedical Engineering is a thriving field that implements engineering technology in the health profession to fundamentally transform the field of medicine. As the aging group of the American population is expected to live much longer and be more active, the requirement for biomedical devices and associated procedures, such as hip and knee replacement, is expected to considerably increase. Bioengineers gain employment in diverse fields, which includes academics in higher education, pharmaceutical corporations, research, and development, manufacturing medical devices, etc. Biomedical Engineering skills are in high demand because they possess a rare combination of expertise in both the engineering and medical field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. bioengineering salary is nearly $100,000. link
What type of skills will young Scientific Technicians need?
Dr. Noelle Cutter: Skills for upcoming graduates...I am a big believer in graduates having a firm foundation in liberal arts and sciences. Employers are looking for employees who can advance in the profession, not just entry-level work. That will be the future of the workforce. The liberal arts and sciences provide a solid foundation for long term employment and career success. It is an approach to college learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change.
This approach emphasizes broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g., science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth achievement in a specific field of interest. In terms of skills, they are lifelong learning skills that are non-subject specific. These skills include the capacity to think critically, communicate clearly (both written and oral), and solve complex problems. I mean, think about the current pandemic....understanding and communicating the science of the virus is absolutely critical. The need for rigorous, critical, engaged thinking to understand the challenge and be informed citizens. It is absolutely critical.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Scientific Technicians to find work opportunities?
Dr. Noelle Cutter: I think a science/biology major is such a diverse training across the US. Graduates will have success in finding job placements. Graduates can look to academia, industry, and even within their local community for job placements in very diverse areas.
In today's competitive, fast-moving economic environment, those seeking well-paying and rewarding jobs will require both specific pieces of knowledge in a field of study and a broad range of skills that extend across fields. Technology is ever-expanding, and really no one can predict where it will go in one year, let alone five. The unknown impacts of human ingenuity, climate change, and demographic shifts in an increasingly global world, among myriad other forces, ensure that the future will be unpredictable.
How do you envision technology impacting Scientific Technicians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Noelle Cutter: In light of this, we need to prepare our students to have educational experiences that teach them about building civic capacity, broad knowledge about the liberal arts and sciences, and cultures outside the United States. One central goal of a liberal arts education is to prepare students for this uncertain future. A foundation in the liberal arts will teach students the set of skills that give them the opportunity to evolve and adapt as the world changes.
How do you envision technology impacting Scientific Technicians in the next 5 years?
Linnea Ritchie Ph.D.: The technology significantly contributes to scientific exploration and is ever-evolving. In molecular biology, technology is constantly changing and advancing and allowing us to improve our understanding of the world under the microscope. Advanced technologies such as qPCR, Next Generation Sequencing, and CRISPR have helped improve our ability to study and understand the world under the microscope. Our ability to sequence the genomes of thousands of different microbes will lead to the discovery of entirely new species of bacteria. Careful use of CRISPR technology will allow us to more fully understand complex molecular processes like a disease.