Microbiologists
Microbiologists earn an average annual salary of $119,060, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Microbiologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
2,510 Workforce in 2023
The Microbiologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Microbiologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$119,060 Average Wage
In 2023, Microbiologists earned an average of $119,060.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Microbiologists.
Salary distribution for Microbiologists.
Employment Growth Projections
0.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
10,153 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 3.2%
10,477 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 6.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Microbiologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Microbiologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Microbiologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Microbiologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Microbiologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Microbiologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 2,410 employees, $119,204 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Microbiologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 460 employees, $134,787 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 400 employees, $131,790 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 370 employees, $105,742 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 320 employees, $104,700 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 310 employees, $109,065 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 150 employees, $122,296 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 130 employees, $130,749 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 60 employees, $113,215 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 50 employees, $112,106 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 30 employees, $96,298 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Microbiologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Microbiologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Microbiologists in 2023 was 2,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Microbiologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Microbiologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Microbiologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Microbiologists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.
Common majors for Microbiologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Microbiologists workers.
Education level distribution for Microbiologists.
Skills
Microbiologists need many skills, but most especially Science, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Microbiologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Microbiologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Microbiologists include Biology, English Language, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Microbiologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Microbiologists include Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Microbiologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Microbiologists.
Daily Activities
Microbiologists spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Processing Information, Working with Computers.
Most important work activities for Microbiologists.
About
Microbiologists
The average yearly wage for Microbiologists was $119,060 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-1022 - Microbiologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Microbiologists reports an average salary of $119,060, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.