How much does a Microbiologist make?

Updated Dec 1, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$54K - $86K/yr
Base Pay
$51K - $81K/yr
Additional Pay
$3K - $5K/yr

$68K

/yr
$54K$86K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Microbiologist is $68,112 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $64,523 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $3,590 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $54K-$86K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Microbiologist

$68,112 /yr
Microbiologist
$95,982 /yr
Senior Microbiologist
$82,554 /yr
Microbiologist IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Microbiologist?

Job TitleSalary
Microbiologist$68,112 /yr
Senior Microbiologist$95,982 /yr
Microbiologist IV$82,554 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For a Microbiologist in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Microbiologist in United States. Employers include Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb and IHRC.

1
Pfizer
Pfizer
$83,389/yr
808 open jobs
3
IHRC
$80,824/yr
4
GSK
$79,930/yr
10
Merck
$74,910/yr
See pay for all companies for a Microbiologist in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Microbiologist in United States

1Pfizer$83,389
2Bristol Myers Squibb$83,154
3IHRC$80,824
4GSK$79,930
5Hospira$77,653
6ARL Bio Pharma$76,827
7U.S. Food and Drug Administration$76,312
8Procter & Gamble$75,787
9Medtronic$75,628
10Merck$74,910
Total Pay Trajectory

For Microbiologist

$68,112 /yr
Microbiologist
$95,982 /yr
Senior Microbiologist
$82,554 /yr
Microbiologist IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Microbiologist?

Job TitleSalary
Microbiologist$68,112 /yr
Senior Microbiologist$95,982 /yr
Microbiologist IV$82,554 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Microbiologist at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Mérieux NutriSciences
3
MicrobiologistSee 91 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group
2.8
MicrobiologistSee 66 salaries from all locations

$30

 / hr
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4
MicrobiologistSee 61 salaries from all locations

$70,899

 / yr
Eurofins Scientific
3.2
MicrobiologistSee 54 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
ATL
3.4
MicrobiologistSee 44 salaries from all locations

$30

 / hr
Food Safety Net Services
2.2
MicrobiologistSee 33 salaries from all locations

$26

 / hr
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
4.1
MicrobiologistSee 32 salaries from all locations

$76,312

 / yr

Is this salary info helpful?

Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere

Share Salary Anonymously
Matrix Sciences
2.6
MicrobiologistSee 28 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
DonLevy Laboratories
2
MicrobiologistSee 26 salaries from all locations

$29

 / hr
Deibel Laboratories
2.6
MicrobiologistSee 25 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
Aerotek
3.4
MicrobiologistSee 24 salaries from all locations

$60,867

 / yr
SGS
3.3
MicrobiologistSee 22 salaries from all locations

$29

 / hr
EMSL Analytical
2.7
MicrobiologistSee 19 salaries from all locations

$27

 / hr
Washington Department of Health
3.6
MicrobiologistSee 17 salaries from all locations

$71,931

 / yr
Labcorp
3.6
MicrobiologistSee 15 salaries from all locations

$29

 / hr
U.S. Department of Agriculture
3.8
MicrobiologistSee 15 salaries from all locations

$71,109

 / yr
Boston Analytical
3.1
MicrobiologistSee 14 salaries from all locations

$67,235

 / yr
Tyson Foods
3.5
MicrobiologistSee 14 salaries from all locations

$30

 / hr
Mérieux NutriSciences
3
Microbiologist ISee 13 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
Q Laboratories
3.3
MicrobiologistSee 12 salaries from all locations

$31

 / hr
Download as data table

Microbiologist Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Mérieux NutriSciences Microbiologist salaries - 91 salaries reported$28/hr
IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group Microbiologist salaries - 66 salaries reported$30/hr
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Microbiologist salaries - 61 salaries reported$70,899/yr
Eurofins Scientific Microbiologist salaries - 54 salaries reported$28/hr
ATL Microbiologist salaries - 44 salaries reported$30/hr
Food Safety Net Services Microbiologist salaries - 33 salaries reported$26/hr
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Microbiologist salaries - 32 salaries reported$76,312/yr
Matrix Sciences Microbiologist salaries - 28 salaries reported$28/hr
DonLevy Laboratories Microbiologist salaries - 26 salaries reported$29/hr
Deibel Laboratories Microbiologist salaries - 25 salaries reported$28/hr
Aerotek Microbiologist salaries - 24 salaries reported$60,867/yr
SGS Microbiologist salaries - 22 salaries reported$29/hr
EMSL Analytical Microbiologist salaries - 19 salaries reported$27/hr
Washington Department of Health Microbiologist salaries - 17 salaries reported$71,931/yr
Labcorp Microbiologist salaries - 15 salaries reported$29/hr
U.S. Department of Agriculture Microbiologist salaries - 15 salaries reported$71,109/yr
Boston Analytical Microbiologist salaries - 14 salaries reported$67,235/yr
Tyson Foods Microbiologist salaries - 14 salaries reported$30/hr
Mérieux NutriSciences Microbiologist I salaries - 13 salaries reported$25/hr
Q Laboratories Microbiologist salaries - 12 salaries reported$31/hr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 1,060

Top Paying Industries

For a Microbiologist in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Microbiologist in United States are Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $70,899, Agriculture with a median total pay of $67,331, Financial Services with a median total pay of $67,178, Manufacturing with a median total pay of $65,980, and Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $65,206.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Government & Public AdministrationGovernment & Public Administration$70,899

    9% Higher than other industries

  • AgricultureAgriculture$67,331

    4% Higher than other industries

  • Financial ServicesFinancial Services$67,178

    4% Higher than other industries

  • ManufacturingManufacturing$65,980

    2% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$65,206

    1% Higher than other industries

Government & Public Administration

Top paying companies in Government & Public Administration for Microbiologist are U.S. Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, and Washington Department of Health.

U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationU.S. Food and Drug Administration$76,312/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Research & Science?

Research and science jobs offer pay well above the national average. Increased demand for STEM workers is increasing salaries in research and science. Jobs in these fields, however, often require higher education at the graduate level and/or specialized training. While domain-specific expertise gives workers in these fields access to very specialized jobs, there are also many employers who hire STEM workers for their general data and technology skills.

Recent Salaries Shared

For microbiologist

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Registered Polysomnographic Technologist

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$35

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Registered Polysomnographic Technologist

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$34

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Microbiology Technician

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$28

/hr

Submitted 2 days ago

4-6 years
2 days ago
Rotational Analyst

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$133,750

/yr

$100K | $34K

Submitted 2 days ago

1-3 years
2 days ago
QC Microbiology Analyst

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$80,500

/yr

$77K | $4K

Submitted 2 days ago

1-3 years
2 days ago
Microbiologist

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$58,000

/yr

Submitted 2 days ago

1-3 years
2 days ago
Microbiologist

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$30

/hr

Submitted 2 days ago

1-3 years
2 days ago
Rotational Analyst

United States of America

 | <1 year

$85,000

/yr

$75K | $10K

Submitted 2 days ago

<1 year
2 days ago
Microbiologist

United States of America

 | <1 year

$23

/hr

Submitted 3 days ago

<1 year
3 days ago

Microbiologist pay FAQ

The average salary for a Microbiologist is $68,112 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 2319 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Microbiologist employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Microbiologist in United States is $85,896 per year.

The lowest salary for a Microbiologist in United States is $54,172 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Microbiologist or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Microbiologist.

Microbiologist salaries are generally on par with other Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) researchers. Microbiologists who work for the federal government or private sector firms usually earn more than those who work for colleges or universities. Microbiologists whose expertise lies at the intersection of computer science, statistics and microbiology are particularly competitive candidates, and thus generally command higher pay. As new diseases emerge and spread across the increasingly connected world, greater funding for infectious disease research is projected to further increase their pay.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

In anonymous ratings left by employees, 59% of microbiologists expressed satisfaction with their salaries. This field offers the potential of $3,589.58 in additional pay through stock options and profit sharing. As you progress in your career, you can earn experience and command a higher salary.

You can become a microbiologist with a bachelor's degree, although you'll earn closer to peak compensation of $105,648.46 if you earn a doctorate in the field. Entry-level microbiologists' pay is about $44,100.66, which includes salary, bonuses, and benefits. The overall average salary in this profession is $64,522.81, with higher earnings if you work for the federal government or in private research and development.

Education and experience influence your salary as a microbiologist. You can pursue a master's or doctorate degree to research or teach in this field, both of which increase available earnings. As far as experience, you can reach the higher-paying senior microbiologist level with a minimum of two years of experience and the microbiologist IV level with much more. You can also increase your microbiologist salary by earning credentials from professional organizations such as the American Society of Microbiology, the American Board of Medical Microbiology and the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology.

When you enter negotiations for a job as a microbiologist, you should have an idea of what you expect to earn based on salaries for comparable positions in your area. In addition to doing your research to come up with a target salary number, show the employer how you can bring value to the organization through your previous experience, publications, education, or certifications. As an entry-level candidate, you can highlight internships, volunteer work, and student research, particularly if you earned experience in a similar position while working toward your degree.

Additional Resources

Microbiologist Job Description Template

Salaries

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