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Biological Technicians

Also called: Biological Science Lab Tech (Biological Science Laboratory Technician), Biological Science Technician (Biological Science Tech), Research Assistant, Research Associate

Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$57,510
Openings a year BLS, 2025–359,400
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +7.4%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 18 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 7.4% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 6.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 43% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 44% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$41k$71knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$49,220$41,260 to $55,250270
Alaska$56,470$47,110 to $65,590410
Arizona$53,290$48,660 to $68,360830
Arkansas$46,930$41,000 to $61,280420
California$71,440$56,200 to $93,0109,210
Colorado$59,400$49,750 to $79,3801,990
Connecticut$62,360$58,860 to $80,970650
Delaware$58,550$48,920 to $67,710180
District of Columbia$64,770$49,370 to $69,910210
Florida$48,700$38,240 to $62,1203,170
Georgia$52,420$47,620 to $61,110860
Guam$44,950$36,820 to $53,93090
Hawaii$48,770$36,090 to $57,780830
Idaho$42,130$36,750 to $50,290450
Illinois$55,790$39,940 to $70,060790
Indiana$58,790$49,750 to $77,1901,020
Iowa$48,050$48,050 to $63,280800
Kansas$51,630$46,140 to $70,210480
Kentucky$48,910$40,360 to $61,230260
Louisiana$47,310$34,690 to $61,060190
Maine$60,160$50,180 to $64,960510
Maryland$52,900$47,370 to $67,8503,470
Massachusetts$62,070$51,190 to $81,4508,430
Michigan$51,070$43,200 to $60,3501,160
Minnesota$48,130$47,380 to $58,4901,400
Mississippi$56,930$51,020 to $62,690330
Missouri$50,640$45,480 to $65,450620
Montana$49,920$48,910 to $56,930430
Nebraska$48,220$43,160 to $58,240600
Nevada$51,680$46,200 to $62,000280
New Hampshire$55,540$48,980 to $66,350240
New Jersey$66,040$57,490 to $83,3101,290
New Mexico$49,570$46,950 to $56,570140
New York$61,210$47,820 to $73,2405,050
North Carolina$61,720$48,790 to $66,5702,460
North Dakota$55,330$49,290 to $60,680250
Ohio$51,080$40,410 to $61,4802,240
Oklahoma$47,850$40,730 to $59,950360
Oregon$52,190$47,940 to $64,1001,590
Pennsylvania$54,950$48,170 to $71,5102,820
Puerto Rico$46,630$37,530 to $54,950670
Rhode Island$45,530$44,560 to $78,340140
South Carolina$53,040$48,470 to $62,190550
South Dakota$41,300$40,720 to $51,930230
Tennessee$50,840$50,580 to $63,7901,240
Texas$50,130$40,130 to $61,6102,730
Utah$52,960$46,100 to $62,140710
Vermont$51,190$47,400 to $64,890220
Virginia$53,360$48,280 to $66,5901,820
Washington$60,800$50,420 to $65,6003,210
West Virginia$51,440$41,620 to $65,620100
Wisconsin$51,750$48,480 to $59,3001,800
Wyoming$46,480$40,330 to $56,930190

Nationally: $57,510. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 8 of its 18 tasks

1 · AI alone could halve the time 7 · AI + software built on it could 10 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
Not much Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals. Not published
AI + software Input data into databases. under 0.01%
Not much Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas. Not published
Not much Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment. Not published
AI alone Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties. 0.01%
AI + software Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities. 0.01%
See all 18 tasks
Not much Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel. Not published
Not much Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards. Not published
Not much Examine animals and specimens to detect the presence of disease or other problems. Not published
Not much Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination. Not published
Not much Measure or weigh compounds and solutions for use in testing or animal feed. Not published
AI + software Conduct standardized biological, microbiological or biochemical tests and laboratory analyses to evaluate the quantity or quality of physical or chemical substances in food or other products. Not published
AI + software Place orders for laboratory equipment and supplies. Not published
AI + software Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings. 0.05%
AI + software Provide technical support and services for scientists and engineers working in fields such as agriculture, environmental science, resource management, biology, and health sciences. Not published
AI + software Participate in the research, development, or manufacturing of medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations. under 0.01%
Not much Conduct or supervise operational programs, such as fish hatcheries, greenhouses and livestock production programs. Not published
Not much Feed livestock or laboratory animals. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 18 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 18 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up8 of 18 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most4 of 17 activities
  • #13 Operate computer systems or computerized equipment
  • #27 Research technology designs or applications
  • #36 Purchase goods or services
  • and 1 more, in the table below
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Research biological or ecological phenomena 35#45 3.66#104
Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance 3.59#153 0.73#180
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Operate computer systems or computerized equipment 130#13 109#16
Research technology designs or applications 67#27 4.96#91
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Set up equipment 20#58 4.69#95
Assist scientists, scholars, or technical specialists with projects or research 15#66 40#34
Show all 17 activities
Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data 15#68 3.48#107
Care for plants or animals 12#81 1.63#136
Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment 6.04#113 1.15#158
Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects 4.02#145 1.20#155
Research agricultural processes or practices 3.95#148 0.52#200
Analyze data to improve operations 3.31#159 1.09#162
Prepare specimens or materials for testing 0.51#269 0.13#265
Collect environmental or biological samples 0.24#292 0.02#307
Manage agricultural or forestry operations 0.13#312 0.02#304
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Maintain operational records” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.92 of every 10,000 conversations, #170 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • A document or report25%
  • An analysis or summary21%
  • An explanation or answer13%
  • An academic paper or thesis7%
  • A script or snippet6%

How they worked with Claude

59% handed the task off41% worked on it together

37% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for biological technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Biological technicians: +7.4%Biological TechniciansAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Biological technicians: +7.4%Biological Technicians

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 3,557 moves out

  1. 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 14%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  3. 3 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 5%
  4. 4 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
  5. 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 2,759 moves in

  1. 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 12%
  2. 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 9%
  3. 3 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 6%
  4. 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  5. 5 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 2%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 14% high school
  • 2% postsecondary certificate
  • 14% some college
  • 6% post-doctoral training
  • 63% not published

O*NET marks 63% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 14 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 2% less than high school
  • 16% high school
  • 22% some college
  • 12% associate's
  • 41% bachelor's
  • 4% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 2% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 355 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
19 programs, such as Biology/Biological Sciences, General, Biomedical Sciences, General and Biochemistry.
See all
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Biomedical Sciences, General
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Microbiology, General
  • Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
  • Microbiology and Immunology
  • Zoology/Animal Biology
  • Animal Behavior and Ethology
  • Wildlife Biology
  • Genetics, General
  • Biostatistics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Computational Biology
  • Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
  • Aquatic Biology/Limnology
  • Neuroscience
  • Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

9.2% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
an educational certificate<0.5%2.8%
a licensenot published
a certificationnot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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