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Molecular Biologist salary
Average molecular biologist salary
$73,763
How much does a molecular biologist make?
The average molecular biologist salary in the United States is $73,763. Molecular biologist salaries typically range between $52,000 and $104,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for molecular biologists is $35.46 per hour.
Molecular biologist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Molecular biologists earn the highest average salary in Hawaii.
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Where can a Molecular Biologist earn more?
Molecular Biologist salary estimates from across the web
Average molecular biologist salary by state
The highest-paying states for molecular biologists are Hawaii, Alaska, and Massachusetts. The lowest average molecular biologist salary states are Wisconsin, Idaho, and New Mexico.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for molecular biologists
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $94,719 | $45.54 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $85,075 | $40.90 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $84,580 | $40.66 |
| 4 | Utah | $79,417 | $38.18 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $80,532 | $38.72 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $97,711 | $46.98 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $80,210 | $38.56 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $84,728 | $40.73 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $79,671 | $38.30 |
| 10 | Nevada | $76,878 | $36.96 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $80,170 | $38.54 |
| 12 | New York | $79,137 | $38.05 |
| 13 | Montana | $73,518 | $35.35 |
| 14 | California | $80,090 | $38.50 |
| 15 | Maryland | $78,271 | $37.63 |
| 16 | Delaware | $78,915 | $37.94 |
| 17 | Indiana | $77,589 | $37.30 |
| 18 | Washington | $75,201 | $36.15 |
| 19 | Vermont | $74,923 | $36.02 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $77,791 | $37.40 |
| 21 | Georgia | $75,887 | $36.48 |
| 22 | Oregon | $73,845 | $35.50 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $69,435 | $33.38 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $75,345 | $36.22 |
| 25 | Michigan | $66,574 | $32.01 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $73,091 | $35.14 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $68,498 | $32.93 |
| 28 | Maine | $71,011 | $34.14 |
| 29 | Virginia | $72,566 | $34.89 |
| 30 | Arizona | $69,403 | $33.37 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $67,385 | $32.40 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $68,347 | $32.86 |
| 33 | Illinois | $67,773 | $32.58 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $65,449 | $31.47 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $66,040 | $31.75 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $66,182 | $31.82 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,476 | $31.48 |
| 38 | Alabama | $64,936 | $31.22 |
| 39 | Kansas | $63,483 | $30.52 |
| 40 | Colorado | $63,524 | $30.54 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $61,011 | $29.33 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $58,861 | $28.30 |
| 43 | Ohio | $61,395 | $29.52 |
| 44 | Texas | $63,786 | $30.67 |
| 45 | Florida | $59,955 | $28.82 |
| 46 | Idaho | $59,768 | $28.73 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $59,842 | $28.77 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $60,140 | $28.91 |
| 49 | Missouri | $57,966 | $27.87 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $55,328 | $26.60 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $57,367 | $27.58 |
Highest paying cities for molecular biologists
The highest-paying cities for molecular biologists are Urban Honolulu, HI, San Francisco, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $98,164 | $47.19 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $86,754 | $41.71 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $85,144 | $40.93 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $84,795 | $40.77 |
| 5 | Piscataway, NJ | $80,172 | $38.54 |
| 6 | Shirley, NY | $79,658 | $38.30 |
| 7 | Silver Spring, MD | $78,161 | $37.58 |
| 8 | Carmel, IN | $77,662 | $37.34 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $76,027 | $36.55 |
| 10 | Manassas, VA | $73,286 | $35.23 |
| 11 | Wheeling, IL | $68,083 | $32.73 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $66,495 | $31.97 |
| 13 | Huntsville, AL | $65,842 | $31.65 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $64,050 | $30.79 |
| 15 | Oak Ridge, TN | $61,536 | $29.58 |
| 16 | Athens, OH | $61,295 | $29.47 |
| 17 | Gainesville, FL | $60,091 | $28.89 |
| 18 | Madison, WI | $59,447 | $28.58 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $58,591 | $28.17 |
| 20 | Fayetteville, AR | $55,294 | $26.58 |
Molecular Biologist salary details
A molecular biologist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a molecular biologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| Average | $73,763 | $6,147 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying molecular biologist jobs
The highest paying types of molecular biologists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Technician | $43,034 | $3,586 | $20.69 | 64,786 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Staff Scientist | $93,941 | $7,828 | $45.16 | 121,054 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for Molecular Biologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Howard Whiteman
Professor of Biological Sciences, Director of the Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
Top companies hiring molecular biologists now:
Which companies pay molecular biologists the most?
Molecular biologist salaries at Novartis and Eli Lilly and Company are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average molecular biologist salary at companies like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Abbott are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novartis | $99,163 | $47.67 |
| 2 | Eli Lilly and Company | $98,900 | $47.55 |
| 3 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $92,783 | $44.61 |
| 4 | Abbott | $90,730 | $43.62 |
| 5 | Battelle | $89,087 | $42.83 |
| 6 | University of California | $84,161 | $40.46 |
| 7 | Eurofins | $82,665 | $39.74 |
| 8 | United States Department of Justice | $81,091 | $38.99 |
| 9 | Roivant Sciences | $80,751 | $38.82 |
| 10 | Life Tech International | $80,513 | $38.71 |
| 11 | Integrated Resources | $79,526 | $38.23 |
| 12 | Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies | $78,841 | $37.90 |
| 13 | Sana Biotechnology | $78,392 | $37.69 |
| 14 | Monsanto | $78,295 | $37.64 |
| 15 | Lilly & Company | $78,274 | $37.63 |
| 16 | US Meat Animal Research Center | $78,253 | $37.62 |
| 17 | INEOS USA LLC | $77,837 | $37.42 |
| 18 | DNA Response | $77,684 | $37.35 |
| 19 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $77,652 | $37.33 |
| 20 | Pace Analytical | $77,643 | $37.33 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Molecular Biologist salary by industry
The average molecular biologist salary varies across industries:
- The average molecular biologist salary in the health care industry is $83,259, the highest of any industry.
- The average molecular biologist salary in the finance industry is $79,251.
- Molecular biologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $78,254, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for molecular biologists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $83,259 | $40.03 |
| 2 | Agriculture | $79,251 | $38.10 |
| 3 | Technology | $79,214 | $38.08 |
| 4 | Government | $78,254 | $37.62 |
High Paying Molecular Biologist Jobs
Molecular Biologist salary trends
The average molecular biologist salary has risen by $12,644 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average molecular biologist earned $61,119 annually, but today, they earn $73,763 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for molecular biologists over the last decade.
Compare molecular biologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average molecular biologist salary over time
Compare molecular biologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Molecular Biologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,800 | $35.46 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $70,500 | $33.91 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $68,700 | $33.05 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $66,400 | $31.94 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $63,700 | $30.63 | -0.5% |
Recently added molecular biologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Department of Agriculture | Research Molecular Biologist | Ione, OR | 12/11/2024 | $86,962 |
| Longevitylist | Scientist, Cell/Molecular Biologist, Mammalian Aging | Durham, NC | 12/10/2024 | $127,000 |
| Cogent Scientific | Pharma Molecular Biologist | New York, NY | 11/25/2024 | $85,000 |
| SchrÖDinger Inc. | In Vitro Biologist/Molecular Pharmacologist New York; | Cambridge, MA | 11/18/2024 | $120,000 |
| Department of Agriculture | Research Molecular Biologist/Microbiologist (Research Associate) | Wenatchee, WA | 10/25/2024 | $72,553 |
| P&G | Life Scientist-Cell or Molecular Biologist | Enon, OH | 10/24/2024 | $128,000 |
| Longevitylist | Scientist, Cell/Molecular Biologist, Mammalian Aging | Durham, NC | 10/07/2024 | $127,000 |
| Eteam | Molecular Biologist (Molecular and Cellular) | Boston, MA | 09/29/2024 | $56,349 |
| Eteam | Molecular Biologist | Gaithersburg, MD | 09/29/2024 | $77,845 |
| Department of Agriculture | Molecular Biologist | Beltsville, MD | 09/29/2024 | $99,200 |
Molecular Biologist salary FAQs
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