---

Biology Lab Technician

Types of Degrees Biology Lab Technician Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Biology Lab Technician have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	147
Associate’s Degree	285
Bachelor’s Degree	40
Master’s Degree	727

What Biology Lab Technician Majors Need to Know

Studies in Biology Lab Technician build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Biology Lab Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Biology Lab Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Biology Lab Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Biology Lab Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biology Lab Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.7 / 7
Processing Information	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biology Lab Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Graphics software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
BD Biosciences CellQuest	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
MapInfo MapMarker	Map creation software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
IBM Lotus 1-2-3	Spreadsheet software	—
Phred	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biology Lab Technician graduates include:

• Microbiology Technician
• Research Technician
• Artificial Breeding Technician
• Research Associate
• Fiber Technologist
• Biomedical Technician
• Microbiology QC Tech (Microbiology Quality Control Technician)
• Game Technician
• Herbarium Worker
• Aquatic Technician (Aquatic Tech)
• Biochemistry Technician
• Microbiology Lab Tech (Microbiology Laboratory Technician)
• Medical Research Assistant
• Biology Specimen Technician
• Extraction Technician (Extraction Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Biology Lab Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	48.8%
Master’s degree	29.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	14.3%
Doctoral degree	2.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.4%
Some college courses	1.4%
Post-doctoral training	1.0%
Postsecondary certificate	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biology Lab Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.3% of Biology Lab Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	840	69.3%
Men	372	30.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Biology Lab Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	503	41.5%
Asian	128	10.6%
Hispanic or Latino	283	23.3%
Black or African American	157	13.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	51	4.2%
Race Unknown	35	2.9%
International Students	53	4.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biology Lab Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Biology Lab Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,858
4 years	$48,226
5 years	$64,089

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,089 — roughly 65% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Biology Lab Technician Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Biology Lab Technician. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Biology Lab Technician Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Biology Lab Technician graduates earn a median of $48,226 four years after completion — roughly 27% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians	41.01

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.