The average salary for a microbiologist in the United States is around $87,990 per year.
Avg Salary
Microbiologists earn an average yearly salary of $87,990.
Wages typically start from $54,670 and go up to $150,000.
42% above national average Updated in 2025
Microbiologist earnings by seniority
Top-level microbiologist earnings begin at:
$72.12 per hour
$150,000 per year
Senior-level microbiologist earnings begin at:
$58.82 per hour
$122,350 per year
Mid-level microbiologist earnings begin at:
$42.30 per hour
$87,990 per year
Junior-level microbiologist earnings begin at:
$32.26 per hour
$67,100 per year
Starting level microbiologist earnings begin at:
$26.28 per hour
$54,670 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Microbiologist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $96,020 |
| Illinois | $92,050 |
| Oregon | $89,220 |
| Montana | $87,750 |
| Connecticut | $86,360 |
| North Carolina | $85,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,650 |
| Minnesota | $83,400 |
| Delaware | $82,770 |
| Colorado | $81,640 |
| New York | $81,090 |
| Florida | $80,930 |
| Iowa | $79,830 |
| New Hampshire | $79,430 |
| Michigan | $78,680 |
| Missouri | $78,590 |
| Indiana | $77,900 |
| Virginia | $77,820 |
| Washington | $77,690 |
| Tennessee | $77,630 |
| Alaska | $76,320 |
| Utah | $72,600 |
| Ohio | $72,500 |
| Nebraska | $72,470 |
| Hawaii | $70,970 |
| South Dakota | $70,530 |
| Kansas | $70,500 |
| Arizona | $69,880 |
| West Virginia | $68,550 |
| Wisconsin | $67,100 |
| Kentucky | $66,500 |
| Texas | $66,450 |
| Idaho | $65,940 |
| Alabama | $65,690 |
| South Carolina | $64,740 |
| Nevada | $64,490 |
| Vermont | $62,540 |
| North Dakota | $62,350 |
| Louisiana | $62,250 |
| Mississippi | $61,690 |
| Arkansas | $59,750 |
| Maine | $58,220 |
| New Mexico | $47,960 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,930 |
| Oklahoma | $47,060 |
| Massachusetts | $122,350 |
| District of Columbia | $109,500 |
| California | $108,530 |
| Maryland | $108,470 |
| Georgia | $103,070 |
How do microbiologist salaries compare to similar careers?
Microbiologists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than operations research analysts but more than chiropractors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Operations research analyst salary | $89K |
| School psychologist salary | $96K |
| Dental hygienist salary | $98K |
| Speech language pathologist salary | $98K |
| Epidemiologist salary | $87K |
| Microbiologist salary | $88K |
| MRI technologist salary | $95K |
| Food science technologist salary | $89K |
| Industrial ecologist salary | $82K |
| Chiropractor salary | $79K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)