How much does a Research Biologist I make in the United States?
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Research Biologist I in the United States is $57,890 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.
However, a Research Biologist I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $67,824
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $51,490 to $63,090
Key Factors That Influence Research Biologist I Salaries
A Research Biologist I's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Research Biologist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Research Biologist I's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Research Biologist I (0-2 years): $57,840
Intermediate Biologist (2-4 years): $66,838
Senior Biologist (4-7 years): $83,428
Specialist Biologist (7+ years): $120,870
Expert Biologist (7-10 years): $137,002
Job Role
Years of Experience
Average Salary
Research Biologist I
0-2 years
$57,840
Intermediate Biologist
2-4 years
$66,838
Senior Biologist
4-7 years
$83,428
Specialist Biologist
7+ years
$120,870
Expert Biologist
7-10 years
$137,002
$57,840Research ...
$66,838Intermedi...
$83,428Senior Bi...
$120,870Specialis...
$137,002Expert Bi...
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Research Biologist I Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Research Biologist Is.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $72,990
San Francisco: $72,190
Oakland: $70,690
San Jose, CA$72,990
San Francisco, CA$72,190
Oakland, CA$70,690
New York, NY$66,590
Paramus, NJ$65,790
Queens Village, NY$65,790
Passaic, NJ$65,790
Bergenfield, NJ$65,790
Huntington, NY$65,590
Stamford, CT$65,590
Newark, NJ$65,190
Bridgeport, CT$65,090
Vallejo, CA$64,990
New Brunswick, NJ$64,890
Petaluma, CA$64,890
Middlesex, NJ$64,790
Somerset, NJ$64,690
Santa Cruz, CA$64,690
Boston, MA$64,290
Monterey, CA$64,090
Seattle, WA$63,990
Santa Rosa, CA$63,990
Los Angeles, CA$63,990
Juneau, AK$63,790
Washington, DC$63,690
Orange, CA$63,490
Santa Ana, CA$63,390
Anchorage, AK$63,290
Anaheim, CA$63,290
Long Beach, CA$63,290
Santa Maria, CA$63,090
Everett, WA$63,090
Danbury, CT$62,890
Bremerton, WA$62,790
Tacoma, WA$62,590
New Suffolk, NY$62,590
Sacramento, CA$62,590
Trenton, NJ$62,490
San Diego, CA$62,490
Santa Barbara, CA$62,490
Brockton, MA$62,390
Fairbanks, AK$62,290
Lompoc, CA$62,090
Lowell, MA$62,090
Ventura, CA$62,090
Nashua, NH$61,990
Stockton, CA$61,990
Modesto, CA$61,590
Poughkeepsie, NY$61,490
New Haven, CT$61,390
Olympia, WA$61,390
Kennewick, WA$61,390
Lawrence, MA$61,090
Hartford, CT$61,090
Riverside, CA$61,090
New Bedford, MA$60,990
Richland, WA$60,990
Norwich, CT$60,890
Portsmouth, NH$60,890
New London, CT$60,890
Bakersfield, CA$60,890
New Britain, CT$60,890
San Bernardino, CA$60,890
Atlantic City, NJ$60,890
Boulder, CO$60,690
Portland, OR$60,690
Worcester, MA$60,590
Minneapolis, MN$60,490
Philadelphia, PA$60,390
Honolulu, HI$60,190
Saint Paul, MN$60,190
Vineland, NJ$60,190
Providence, RI$59,990
Chicago, IL$59,790
Bellingham, WA$59,790
Springfield, MA$59,690
Baltimore, MD$59,690
Chico, CA$59,490
Pittsfield, MA$59,390
Manchester, NH$59,290
Spokane, WA$58,990
Denver, CO$58,990
Albany, NY$58,690
Troy, NY$58,690
Nassau, NY$58,690
Wilmington, DE$58,590
Schenectady, NY$58,590
Burlington, VT$58,490
Salem, OR$58,490
Portland, ME$58,290
Yakima, WA$58,190
Milwaukee, WI$57,990
Rochester, MN$57,990
Reno, NV$57,990
Fresno, CA$57,990
Allentown, PA$57,890
Ann Arbor, MI$57,890
Detroit, MI$57,890
Colorado Springs, CO$57,790
Syracuse, NY$57,790
Carson City, NV$57,790
Houston, TX$57,690
Eugene, OR$57,590
Gary, IN$57,590
Bismarck, ND$57,490
Galveston, TX$57,490
Springfield, OR$57,490
Medford, OR$57,390
Fort Collins, CO$57,390
Concord, NH$57,290
Austin, TX$57,290
Dallas, TX$57,190
Mesa, AZ$57,190
Reading, PA$57,190
Phoenix, AZ$57,190
Saint Cloud, MN$57,090
Madison, WI$56,990
Utica, NY$56,890
Rochester, NY$56,790
Des Moines, IA$56,790
Raleigh, NC$56,790
Atlanta, GA$56,690
Battle Creek, MI$56,690
Salt Lake City, UT$56,690
Lancaster, PA$56,590
Harrisburg, PA$56,490
Kansas City, MO$56,390
Kansas City, KS$56,390
Champaign, IL$56,390
Fort Worth, TX$56,390
Columbus, OH$56,390
Boca Raton, FL$56,390
Pittsburgh, PA$56,390
Cincinnati, OH$56,290
Cleveland, OH$56,290
Las Vegas, NV$56,290
Richmond, VA$56,290
Indianapolis, IN$56,290
Petersburg, VA$56,190
Huntsville, AL$56,090
Dayton, OH$55,990
Charlotte, NC$55,990
Racine, WI$55,990
Buffalo, NY$55,990
Pueblo, CO$55,990
Lebanon, PA$55,990
Lansing, MI$55,990
Appleton, WI$55,990
Billings, MT$55,890
Saint Louis, MO$55,890
York, PA$55,890
Elkhart, IN$55,890
Gastonia, NC$55,890
Beaumont, TX$55,890
Rockford, IL$55,790
Binghamton, NY$55,790
Rock Hill, SC$55,790
Benton Harbor, MI$55,790
Lorain, OH$55,790
Toledo, OH$55,790
Springfield, IL$55,690
Elyria, OH$55,690
Fargo, ND$55,690
Flagstaff, AZ$55,690
Fort Lauderdale, FL$55,690
Grand Forks, ND$55,590
Cheyenne, WY$55,590
Duluth, MN$55,590
Miami, FL$55,590
Bangor, ME$55,490
Cedar Rapids, IA$55,390
Durham, NC$55,390
Louisville, KY$55,390
Grand Rapids, MI$55,390
Casper, WY$55,290
Hialeah, FL$55,290
New Orleans, LA$55,190
Virginia Beach, VA$55,190
Scranton, PA$55,190
Akron, OH$55,090
Peoria, IL$55,090
Sarasota, FL$55,090
Nashville, TN$54,990
Omaha, NE$54,990
Green Bay, WI$54,990
Baton Rouge, LA$54,990
Charleston, SC$54,990
Tampa, FL$54,890
Saint Petersburg, FL$54,890
Davenport, IA$54,890
Jamestown, NY$54,890
Tucson, AZ$54,890
Evansville, IN$54,790
Port Arthur, TX$54,790
Bradenton, FL$54,790
Santa Fe, NM$54,690
Clearwater, FL$54,590
Orlando, FL$54,590
La Crosse, WI$54,490
Canton, OH$54,490
Albuquerque, NM$54,390
Newport News, VA$54,390
High Point, NC$54,390
Ogden, UT$54,390
Jacksonville, FL$54,290
Saginaw, MI$54,290
Rock Island, IL$54,290
Laramie, WY$54,290
Norfolk, VA$54,290
Corpus Christi, TX$54,290
Salisbury, NC$54,190
Boise, ID$54,190
Moline, IL$54,190
Fort Myers, FL$54,190
Memphis, TN$54,190
Waterloo, IA$54,090
Tulsa, OK$54,090
Spartanburg, SC$53,990
Lincoln, NE$53,990
Fort Wayne, IN$53,990
Provo, UT$53,990
South Bend, IN$53,890
Cedar Falls, IA$53,890
San Antonio, TX$53,890
Greensboro, NC$53,890
Winston Salem, NC$53,790
Birmingham, AL$53,790
Savannah, GA$53,790
Muskegon, MI$53,790
Augusta, GA$53,590
Lake Charles, LA$53,590
Anderson, IN$53,590
Lexington, KY$53,590
Greenville, SC$53,590
Springfield, OH$53,490
Tuscaloosa, AL$53,490
Columbia, SC$53,490
Lima, OH$53,490
Wichita, KS$53,490
Asheville, NC$53,390
Bloomington, IN$53,290
Knoxville, TN$53,090
Shreveport, LA$53,090
Wilmington, NC$52,990
Roanoke, VA$52,990
Melbourne, FL$52,890
Longview, TX$52,890
Chillicothe, OH$52,890
Oklahoma City, OK$52,890
Frankfort, KY$52,890
Topeka, KS$52,890
Sioux Falls, SD$52,790
Mobile, AL$52,790
Terre Haute, IN$52,690
Altoona, PA$52,690
Amarillo, TX$52,690
Chattanooga, TN$52,590
Fayetteville, AR$52,590
Killeen, TX$52,590
Sioux City, IA$52,490
Idaho Falls, ID$52,490
Lynchburg, VA$52,490
Gainesville, FL$52,390
Portsmouth, OH$52,390
Temple, TX$52,290
Pensacola, FL$52,290
Clarksville, TN$52,290
Youngstown, OH$52,290
Lafayette, LA$52,290
Little Rock, AR$52,290
Daytona Beach, FL$52,290
Hopkinsville, KY$52,090
Erie, PA$52,090
Florence, SC$52,090
Charleston, WV$51,990
Fayetteville, NC$51,890
Tallahassee, FL$51,890
Great Falls, MT$51,890
Macon, GA$51,890
Waco, TX$51,790
Helena, MT$51,790
Pine Bluff, AR$51,790
Vincennes, IN$51,690
Lubbock, TX$51,690
Twin Falls, ID$51,590
Rapid City, SD$51,590
Alamogordo, NM$51,590
Huntington, WV$51,490
Greenville, MS$51,490
Jackson, MS$51,490
Parkersburg, WV$51,390
Montgomery, AL$51,390
Monroe, LA$51,290
Wichita Falls, TX$51,290
Springfield, MO$51,290
Biloxi, MS$51,290
Columbus, GA$51,190
Sumter, SC$51,190
Johnstown, PA$51,190
Pascagoula, MS$51,090
Abilene, TX$51,090
Kingsport, TN$50,890
Albany, GA$50,890
Gulfport, MS$50,890
Alexandria, LA$50,690
Fort Smith, AR$50,590
El Paso, TX$50,390
Las Cruces, NM$50,190
Harlingen, TX$49,990
Pocatello, ID$49,990
Florence, AL$49,890
Brownsville, TX$49,890
Mcallen, TX$49,790
Dothan, AL$49,690
Columbus, MS$49,390
Altus, OK$49,090
Lawton, OK$48,990
Pierre, SD$48,790
What Skills Can Increase a Research Biologist I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 11.99% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Microbiology (Mentioned in 2.67% Job Postings): Microbiology (from Greek μῑκρος, mīkros, "small"; βίος, bios, "life"; and -λογία, -logia) is the study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, parasitology, mycology and bacteriology. Eukaryotic microorganisms possess membrane-bound cell organelles and include fungi and protists, whereas prokaryotic organisms—all of which are microorganisms—are conventionally classified as lacking membrane-bound organelles and include Bacteria and Archaea. Microbiologists traditionally relied on culture, staining, and microscopy. However, less than 1% of the microorganisms present in common environments can be cultured in isolation using current means. Microbiologists often rely on molecular biology tools such as DNA sequence based identification, for example 16s rRNA gene sequence used for bacteria identification.
SOP (Mentioned in 2% Job Postings): SOP is A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Analysis
11.99%
Microbiology
2.67%
SOP
2%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Research Biologist I's salary.
Cell Biology: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Biochemistry: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Cell Biology
$67,152
16%
Collaboration
$65,995
14%
Biochemistry
$64,837
12%
Cell Culture
$64,258
11%
Innovation
$64,258
11%
Analysis
$63,679
10%
Get Latest Data
Research Biologist I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Research Biologist I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $64,787.
While startup companies pay approximate $54,898.
Research Biologist I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$54,898
Growth Stage
51~500
$58,035
Established
501~5000
$62,588
Enterprise
5000+
$64,787
Research Biologist I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Research Biologist I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Research Biologist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Research Biologist I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Research Biologist I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$86,835
$42.0
50%
Research Biologist I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Research Biologist I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$51,490
Average$57,890/year
$63,090
$4,291
Average$4,824/month
$5,258
$990
Average$1,113/week
$1,213
$25
Average$28/hour
$30
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$63,090
$5,258
$1,213
$30
Average
$57,890
$4,824
$1,113
$28
25th Percentile
$51,490
$4,291
$990
$25
Research Biologist I Salary Growth & Career Path
Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings.
As a Research Biologist I, you have the following paths for advancement.
The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles.
By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.
Research Biologist I Salary Growth and Career Path
Salaries for a Research Biologist I can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,738 in 2023
to around $54,504 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Research Biologist I salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Research Biologist I Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$54,738
2024
$54,710
2025
$54,504
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,738
2024
$54,710
2025
$54,504
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Research Biologist I
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Research Biologist I
Here are companies hiring for Research Biologist I and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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FAQ about Research Biologist I
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Research Biologist I?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Research Biologist I roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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