Match a tag to the log
Compare each sample's tag with its log entry, then prep it for examination.
Career profile
Biological Technician
Biological technicians prepare material from organisms and run tests that help scientists study life.
What you see happen inside a specimen ends up in your written records, and another researcher then puts them to use.
A day in the life
Get the bench ready
Wash the glassware, weigh out material from the samples, and set out equipment for the coming test.
Note changes as tests run
During the test, note what you see, and log any change in a specimen with the time.
Turn numbers into a report
Enter results in the database, compare measurements against each other, and write a short report for the researcher.
Quick facts
Usually a bachelor's degree
United States
$57,510 a year
United States · May 2025
7% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Usually a bachelor's degreeBiology or a related field, with laboratory experience.
Pay
$57,510 a yearNational median; hourly equivalent $27.65.
Outlook
7% projected growthAbout 9,400 openings annually, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You notice small changes in living things.
- You like keeping records someone else can follow.
- You can repeat a measurement without rushing it.
Things to weigh
- Repeated hand movements and time standing at a bench can be tiring.
- Some projects involve hazardous organisms or chemicals; contamination precautions shape how you work.
Where AI may help
In some drug-screening labs, robots move sample plates and dispense liquids while software records each run.
What people still lead
People keep these systems working and improve the testing process when equipment or methods need changes.
What we can’t predict yet
How much more hands-on preparation becomes automated will depend on whether systems can handle each lab's changing experiments.
Pay in context
Earnings
The median describes the middle worker's wage, not a starting offer.
The national spread
The 10th-percentile annual wage was $40,330; the 90th was $84,940. These are positions in the wage distribution, not beginner and senior salaries.
Workplace type matters
Annual medians were $62,060 in scientific research and development, $53,560 at private colleges and universities, and $53,330 at state colleges and universities.
Openings include replacements
Many projected openings replace people who change occupations or leave the workforce.
Getting started
Study biology with laboratory practice
- What the route involves
- Earn a biology or related bachelor's degree and build laboratory experience through coursework or internships.
- What it can lead to
- This is the usual preparation for biological technician positions.
Use a federal two-year study route
- What the route involves
- Complete two full years of postsecondary study, including 12 semester hours in relevant subjects such as biology, chemistry, or mathematics. At least six hours must directly relate to the position.
- What it can lead to
- This can meet the education substitution for U.S. Geological Survey biological science technician jobs at General Schedule grade 4 (GS-4).
- What to check
- This is a specific federal qualification route. Check the vacancy's requirements; meeting them does not guarantee selection.
Scientists typically direct and evaluate your research work.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Learn your laboratory
After hiring, learn the instruments your employer uses.
Build a specialty
In natural-resource work, develop species-identification skills and turn survey results into charts for reports.
Take on part of a project
Senior natural-resource technicians may run portions of research or restoration projects and develop better sampling methods.
Where you can work
Automated screening laboratories
In specialized drug-screening labs, work revolves around sample plates, liquid dispensers, and computer-controlled instruments. Equipment specialists help keep testing systems running.
- Indoors
- Lab
Natural-resource research teams
You may move between outdoor sampling sites and a laboratory. Weather and physical hazards affect field days; indoor work includes processing samples and records.
- Outdoors
- Field work
- Lab
- Physical demands
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Use five fallen leaves, a ruler, and a notebook. Give each leaf an identifier, define how you will measure its length, then measure each twice and record both results. Write instructions a classmate could repeat. Notice whether consistent measurements and careful records hold your interest.
Stay safe: Use familiar, non-irritating leaves from somewhere you have permission to collect.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Biological Technicians — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: 19-4021.00 — Biological Technicians. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine. 19-4021.00 — Biological Technicians. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Biological Science Technician, GS-0404. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Department of the Interior. Biological Science Technician — GS-0404. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Automation. Accessed 2026-10-03.