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Biology & Biotech Lab Technician

Instructional content is defined in code 41.0101.

Types of Degrees Biology & Biotech Lab Technician Majors Are Earning

Those studying Biology & Biotech 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 & Biotech Lab Technician Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Biology & Biotech 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

Skills developed in a Biology & Biotech 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.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Biology & Biotech Lab Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biology & Biotech 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 & Biotech Lab Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Gene Runner	Analytical or scientific software	—
Thomson EndNote	Data base user interface and query software	—
Phrap	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Gene Codes Sequencher	Analytical or scientific software	—
BD Biosciences CellQuest	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
MapInfo MapMarker	Map creation software	—
PolyBayes	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Statistical software	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biology & Biotech Lab Technician graduates include:

• Wildlife Biology Technician
• Research and Development Associate (R & D Associate)
• Wildlife Biological Science Technician
• Biological Field Technician (Biological Field Tech)
• Microbiology Technician
• Specimen Technician
• Feed Research Aide
• Downstream Technician
• Laboratory Technician
• Biological Science Technician
• Babcock Tester
• Upstream Biomanufacturing Technician
• Aquatics Technician
• Environmental Technician
• Fiber Technologist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Biology & Biotech 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%
Some college courses	1.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	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 & Biotech Lab Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.3% of Biology & Biotech 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 & Biotech 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 & Biotech Lab Technician Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Biology & Biotech 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 & Biotech Lab Technician Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Biology & Biotech 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 & Biotech Lab Technician Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Biology & Biotech 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Science Technologies Technicians	7,092
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians	2,922
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,518
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians	338
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	—

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.