Biological Technicians: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Biological Technicians assist biological and medical scientists in laboratories. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.

• Conduct research or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
• Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
• Participate in the research, development, or manufacturing of medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations.
• Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel.

Salary

Biological Technicians with little to no experience tend to make between $29330 and $35190 while the more experienced ones can earn over $57400 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Biological Technician is to move to a higher paying state like MA. Right now, the highest paying states for Biological Technicians are MA, CT, NJ, IL and CA.

However, a higher pay at MA doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at MA might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Biological Technician is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Biological Technicians what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Bachelor’s Degree followed by a Master’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Biological Technician.

What is the job like

53% of Biological Technicians said they were satisfied with their job and 67% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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