Water Quality Lab Technician Salary in the United States
How much does a Water Quality Lab Technician make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Water Quality Lab Technician in the United States is $79,200 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.
However, a Water Quality Lab Technician's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $91,236
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $66,000 to $85,500
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $53,982
10%$53,982
50% (Median)$79,200
90%$91,236
Water Quality Lab Technician Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Water Quality Lab Technician Salaries
A Water Quality Lab Technician's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Water Quality Lab Technician 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 Water Quality Lab Technicians. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Top Paying Cities for Water Quality Lab Technicians
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: $99,900
San Francisco: $98,800
Oakland: $96,700
San Jose, CA$99,900
San Francisco, CA$98,800
Oakland, CA$96,700
New York, NY$91,200
Paramus, NJ$90,100
Queens Village, NY$90,100
Passaic, NJ$90,000
Bergenfield, NJ$90,000
Huntington, NY$89,800
Stamford, CT$89,800
Newark, NJ$89,200
Bridgeport, CT$89,000
Vallejo, CA$88,900
New Brunswick, NJ$88,800
Petaluma, CA$88,800
Middlesex, NJ$88,600
Somerset, NJ$88,600
Santa Cruz, CA$88,500
Boston, MA$88,000
Monterey, CA$87,700
Seattle, WA$87,500
Santa Rosa, CA$87,500
Los Angeles, CA$87,500
Juneau, AK$87,300
Washington, DC$87,200
Orange, CA$86,900
Santa Ana, CA$86,700
Anaheim, CA$86,600
Anchorage, AK$86,600
Long Beach, CA$86,600
Santa Maria, CA$86,300
Everett, WA$86,300
Danbury, CT$86,000
Bremerton, WA$85,900
Tacoma, WA$85,600
New Suffolk, NY$85,600
Sacramento, CA$85,600
Santa Barbara, CA$85,500
Brockton, MA$85,400
San Diego, CA$85,400
Trenton, NJ$85,400
Fairbanks, AK$85,200
Lompoc, CA$85,000
Lowell, MA$84,900
Ventura, CA$84,900
Nashua, NH$84,900
Stockton, CA$84,900
Modesto, CA$84,300
Poughkeepsie, NY$84,100
Kennewick, WA$84,000
Olympia, WA$84,000
New Haven, CT$83,900
Lawrence, MA$83,600
Hartford, CT$83,600
Riverside, CA$83,500
New Bedford, MA$83,500
Richland, WA$83,500
Bakersfield, CA$83,400
Norwich, CT$83,300
New London, CT$83,300
San Bernardino, CA$83,300
New Britain, CT$83,300
Atlantic City, NJ$83,300
Portsmouth, NH$83,200
Boulder, CO$83,100
Portland, OR$83,000
Worcester, MA$83,000
Minneapolis, MN$82,700
Philadelphia, PA$82,600
Honolulu, HI$82,300
Saint Paul, MN$82,300
Vineland, NJ$82,300
Providence, RI$82,100
Chicago, IL$81,800
Bellingham, WA$81,700
Springfield, MA$81,700
Baltimore, MD$81,600
Chico, CA$81,400
Pittsfield, MA$81,200
Manchester, NH$81,100
Spokane, WA$80,700
Denver, CO$80,700
Albany, NY$80,400
Troy, NY$80,300
Nassau, NY$80,200
Schenectady, NY$80,200
Wilmington, DE$80,100
Salem, OR$80,000
Burlington, VT$80,000
Portland, ME$79,700
Yakima, WA$79,600
Rochester, MN$79,400
Reno, NV$79,300
Fresno, CA$79,300
Milwaukee, WI$79,300
Allentown, PA$79,200
Detroit, MI$79,200
Ann Arbor, MI$79,200
Carson City, NV$79,000
Colorado Springs, CO$79,000
Syracuse, NY$79,000
Houston, TX$78,900
Eugene, OR$78,800
Gary, IN$78,700
Springfield, OR$78,700
Bismarck, ND$78,700
Galveston, TX$78,600
Fort Collins, CO$78,500
Medford, OR$78,500
Austin, TX$78,400
Concord, NH$78,400
Mesa, AZ$78,200
Reading, PA$78,200
Phoenix, AZ$78,200
Dallas, TX$78,200
Saint Cloud, MN$78,100
Madison, WI$78,000
Utica, NY$77,800
Raleigh, NC$77,700
Rochester, NY$77,700
Des Moines, IA$77,700
Atlanta, GA$77,500
Battle Creek, MI$77,500
Salt Lake City, UT$77,500
Lancaster, PA$77,400
Harrisburg, PA$77,300
Champaign, IL$77,200
Kansas City, MO$77,200
Kansas City, KS$77,200
Fort Worth, TX$77,200
Columbus, OH$77,100
Boca Raton, FL$77,100
Pittsburgh, PA$77,100
Richmond, VA$77,100
Indianapolis, IN$77,000
Cleveland, OH$77,000
Las Vegas, NV$76,900
Cincinnati, OH$76,900
Petersburg, VA$76,800
Huntsville, AL$76,700
Lansing, MI$76,700
Lebanon, PA$76,600
Pueblo, CO$76,600
Appleton, WI$76,600
Buffalo, NY$76,600
Dayton, OH$76,600
Racine, WI$76,500
Charlotte, NC$76,500
Saint Louis, MO$76,500
York, PA$76,500
Elkhart, IN$76,500
Benton Harbor, MI$76,400
Lorain, OH$76,400
Toledo, OH$76,400
Billings, MT$76,400
Gastonia, NC$76,400
Beaumont, TX$76,400
Rockford, IL$76,300
Rock Hill, SC$76,300
Binghamton, NY$76,300
Springfield, IL$76,200
Elyria, OH$76,200
Fargo, ND$76,200
Flagstaff, AZ$76,200
Fort Lauderdale, FL$76,100
Duluth, MN$76,100
Miami, FL$76,100
Cheyenne, WY$76,000
Grand Forks, ND$76,000
Bangor, ME$75,900
Cedar Rapids, IA$75,800
Durham, NC$75,700
Louisville, KY$75,700
Grand Rapids, MI$75,700
Hialeah, FL$75,700
Casper, WY$75,600
Virginia Beach, VA$75,500
New Orleans, LA$75,500
Scranton, PA$75,500
Akron, OH$75,400
Peoria, IL$75,300
Sarasota, FL$75,300
Nashville, TN$75,300
Omaha, NE$75,300
Green Bay, WI$75,300
Jamestown, NY$75,200
Davenport, IA$75,200
Charleston, SC$75,200
Baton Rouge, LA$75,200
Tucson, AZ$75,100
Saint Petersburg, FL$75,100
Tampa, FL$75,100
Evansville, IN$75,000
Port Arthur, TX$75,000
Bradenton, FL$75,000
Santa Fe, NM$74,800
Clearwater, FL$74,700
Orlando, FL$74,700
La Crosse, WI$74,500
Canton, OH$74,500
Albuquerque, NM$74,500
Newport News, VA$74,400
High Point, NC$74,400
Ogden, UT$74,400
Norfolk, VA$74,300
Laramie, WY$74,300
Corpus Christi, TX$74,300
Rock Island, IL$74,200
Saginaw, MI$74,200
Jacksonville, FL$74,200
Salisbury, NC$74,200
Boise, ID$74,200
Memphis, TN$74,100
Moline, IL$74,100
Fort Myers, FL$74,100
Tulsa, OK$74,100
Waterloo, IA$74,000
Spartanburg, SC$73,900
Lincoln, NE$73,900
Fort Wayne, IN$73,900
Provo, UT$73,900
Cedar Falls, IA$73,800
San Antonio, TX$73,700
Greensboro, NC$73,700
South Bend, IN$73,700
Birmingham, AL$73,600
Savannah, GA$73,600
Muskegon, MI$73,600
Winston Salem, NC$73,500
Augusta, GA$73,300
Lake Charles, LA$73,300
Anderson, IN$73,300
Lexington, KY$73,300
Greenville, SC$73,300
Wichita, KS$73,200
Lima, OH$73,200
Tuscaloosa, AL$73,200
Springfield, OH$73,100
Columbia, SC$73,100
Asheville, NC$73,000
Bloomington, IN$72,900
Knoxville, TN$72,700
Shreveport, LA$72,600
Wilmington, NC$72,500
Roanoke, VA$72,500
Topeka, KS$72,400
Frankfort, KY$72,400
Melbourne, FL$72,300
Longview, TX$72,300
Oklahoma City, OK$72,300
Chillicothe, OH$72,300
Sioux Falls, SD$72,200
Mobile, AL$72,200
Terre Haute, IN$72,100
Altoona, PA$72,100
Amarillo, TX$72,000
Killeen, TX$72,000
Chattanooga, TN$71,900
Fayetteville, AR$71,900
Sioux City, IA$71,800
Idaho Falls, ID$71,800
Lynchburg, VA$71,800
Gainesville, FL$71,700
Youngstown, OH$71,600
Portsmouth, OH$71,600
Little Rock, AR$71,600
Lafayette, LA$71,600
Daytona Beach, FL$71,500
Clarksville, TN$71,500
Pensacola, FL$71,500
Temple, TX$71,500
Hopkinsville, KY$71,300
Erie, PA$71,300
Florence, SC$71,200
Charleston, WV$71,100
Great Falls, MT$71,100
Tallahassee, FL$70,900
Helena, MT$70,900
Waco, TX$70,900
Macon, GA$70,900
Fayetteville, NC$70,900
Pine Bluff, AR$70,800
Vincennes, IN$70,700
Lubbock, TX$70,700
Alamogordo, NM$70,600
Twin Falls, ID$70,600
Rapid City, SD$70,600
Greenville, MS$70,400
Huntington, WV$70,400
Jackson, MS$70,400
Parkersburg, WV$70,300
Montgomery, AL$70,300
Wichita Falls, TX$70,200
Springfield, MO$70,200
Biloxi, MS$70,200
Monroe, LA$70,100
Johnstown, PA$70,100
Columbus, GA$70,000
Sumter, SC$70,000
Pascagoula, MS$69,900
Abilene, TX$69,900
Kingsport, TN$69,700
Albany, GA$69,700
Gulfport, MS$69,600
Alexandria, LA$69,400
Fort Smith, AR$69,200
El Paso, TX$69,000
Las Cruces, NM$68,600
Harlingen, TX$68,400
Pocatello, ID$68,400
Florence, AL$68,300
Brownsville, TX$68,300
Mcallen, TX$68,100
Dothan, AL$68,000
Columbus, MS$67,500
Altus, OK$67,200
Lawton, OK$67,000
Pierre, SD$66,700
Water Quality Lab Technician Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Water Quality Lab Technician salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $88,253.
While startup companies pay approximate $74,808.
Water Quality Lab Technician Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$74,808
Growth Stage
51~500
$79,073
Established
501~5000
$85,239
Enterprise
5000+
$88,253
Water Quality Lab Technician Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Water Quality Lab Technician'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 October 01, 2026
$66,000
Average$79,200/year
$85,500
$5,500
Average$6,600/month
$7,125
$1,269
Average$1,523/week
$1,644
$32
Average$38/hour
$41
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$85,500
$7,125
$1,644
$41
Average
$79,200
$6,600
$1,523
$38
25th Percentile
$66,000
$5,500
$1,269
$32
Water Quality Lab Technician Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Water Quality Lab Technician, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Water Quality Lab Manager role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$124,100 - a projected growth of
57%
over your current level.
Salaries of Jobs related to Water Quality Lab Technician
Most common benefits for Water Quality Lab Technician
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Water Quality Lab Technician
Here are companies hiring for Water Quality Lab Technician and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Water Quality Lab Technician Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Water Quality Lab Technician job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Get a Salary Increase
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Search Job Openings
For Employers
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Adjust Employee Salary
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Price My Industry Jobs
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.
