Lab Operations Associate Salary in the United States
How much does a Lab Operations Associate make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lab Operations Associate in the United States is $68,784 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.
However, a Lab Operations Associate's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $81,471
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $58,090 to $75,425
Key Factors That Influence Lab Operations Associate Salaries
A Lab Operations Associate's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Lab Operations Associate 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 Lab Operations Associates. 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: $86,757
San Francisco: $85,807
Oakland: $83,999
San Jose, CA$86,757
San Francisco, CA$85,807
Oakland, CA$83,999
New York, NY$79,197
Paramus, NJ$78,234
Queens Village, NY$78,231
Passaic, NJ$78,165
Bergenfield, NJ$78,159
Stamford, CT$78,008
Huntington, NY$77,980
Newark, NJ$77,471
Bridgeport, CT$77,326
Vallejo, CA$77,189
New Brunswick, NJ$77,162
Petaluma, CA$77,120
Middlesex, NJ$76,990
Somerset, NJ$76,942
Santa Cruz, CA$76,852
Boston, MA$76,433
Monterey, CA$76,191
Seattle, WA$76,034
Santa Rosa, CA$76,020
Los Angeles, CA$75,999
Juneau, AK$75,820
Washington, DC$75,745
Orange, CA$75,500
Santa Ana, CA$75,318
Long Beach, CA$75,249
Anaheim, CA$75,236
Anchorage, AK$75,201
Santa Maria, CA$74,995
Everett, WA$74,981
Danbury, CT$74,739
Bremerton, WA$74,644
Tacoma, WA$74,397
New Suffolk, NY$74,395
Sacramento, CA$74,376
Santa Barbara, CA$74,300
Trenton, NJ$74,225
San Diego, CA$74,225
Brockton, MA$74,149
Fairbanks, AK$73,980
Lompoc, CA$73,805
Lowell, MA$73,749
Ventura, CA$73,736
Nashua, NH$73,722
Stockton, CA$73,716
Modesto, CA$73,213
Poughkeepsie, NY$73,062
Olympia, WA$72,931
Kennewick, WA$72,931
New Haven, CT$72,904
Lawrence, MA$72,656
Hartford, CT$72,588
Riverside, CA$72,574
New Bedford, MA$72,505
Richland, WA$72,505
Bakersfield, CA$72,409
San Bernardino, CA$72,381
New Britain, CT$72,374
Atlantic City, NJ$72,374
New London, CT$72,347
Norwich, CT$72,326
Portsmouth, NH$72,312
Boulder, CO$72,167
Portland, OR$72,072
Worcester, MA$72,065
Minneapolis, MN$71,852
Philadelphia, PA$71,755
Honolulu, HI$71,528
Saint Paul, MN$71,495
Vineland, NJ$71,480
Providence, RI$71,281
Chicago, IL$71,081
Bellingham, WA$70,999
Springfield, MA$70,944
Baltimore, MD$70,923
Chico, CA$70,751
Pittsfield, MA$70,565
Manchester, NH$70,435
Spokane, WA$70,132
Denver, CO$70,125
Albany, NY$69,802
Troy, NY$69,774
Nassau, NY$69,701
Schenectady, NY$69,630
Wilmington, DE$69,575
Burlington, VT$69,479
Salem, OR$69,451
Portland, ME$69,238
Yakima, WA$69,169
Rochester, MN$68,956
Reno, NV$68,921
Fresno, CA$68,921
Milwaukee, WI$68,859
Detroit, MI$68,791
Ann Arbor, MI$68,779
Allentown, PA$68,770
Colorado Springs, CO$68,653
Syracuse, NY$68,619
Carson City, NV$68,619
Houston, TX$68,522
Eugene, OR$68,488
Gary, IN$68,405
Springfield, OR$68,350
Bismarck, ND$68,337
Galveston, TX$68,289
Medford, OR$68,185
Fort Collins, CO$68,158
Concord, NH$68,123
Austin, TX$68,103
Mesa, AZ$67,958
Reading, PA$67,952
Phoenix, AZ$67,945
Dallas, TX$67,924
Saint Cloud, MN$67,858
Madison, WI$67,766
Utica, NY$67,580
Rochester, NY$67,470
Des Moines, IA$67,463
Raleigh, NC$67,456
Atlanta, GA$67,353
Battle Creek, MI$67,332
Salt Lake City, UT$67,312
Lancaster, PA$67,209
Harrisburg, PA$67,112
Kansas City, MO$67,044
Champaign, IL$67,030
Kansas City, KS$67,030
Fort Worth, TX$67,023
Columbus, OH$67,011
Boca Raton, FL$66,995
Pittsburgh, PA$66,968
Richmond, VA$66,940
Indianapolis, IN$66,927
Cleveland, OH$66,920
Las Vegas, NV$66,837
Cincinnati, OH$66,837
Petersburg, VA$66,734
Huntsville, AL$66,631
Lansing, MI$66,585
Lebanon, PA$66,576
Pueblo, CO$66,569
Appleton, WI$66,548
Buffalo, NY$66,521
Dayton, OH$66,500
Racine, WI$66,486
Charlotte, NC$66,480
Saint Louis, MO$66,459
York, PA$66,418
Elkhart, IN$66,418
Gastonia, NC$66,405
Billings, MT$66,388
Beaumont, TX$66,369
Lorain, OH$66,356
Benton Harbor, MI$66,342
Toledo, OH$66,328
Binghamton, NY$66,294
Rock Hill, SC$66,287
Rockford, IL$66,253
Springfield, IL$66,225
Elyria, OH$66,218
Fargo, ND$66,218
Flagstaff, AZ$66,170
Fort Lauderdale, FL$66,129
Duluth, MN$66,087
Miami, FL$66,087
Cheyenne, WY$66,039
Grand Forks, ND$66,039
Bangor, ME$65,888
Cedar Rapids, IA$65,812
Durham, NC$65,783
Louisville, KY$65,778
Grand Rapids, MI$65,764
Hialeah, FL$65,757
Casper, WY$65,661
Scranton, PA$65,578
New Orleans, LA$65,558
Virginia Beach, VA$65,551
Akron, OH$65,517
Peoria, IL$65,427
Sarasota, FL$65,413
Nashville, TN$65,365
Omaha, NE$65,365
Green Bay, WI$65,365
Baton Rouge, LA$65,331
Charleston, SC$65,317
Jamestown, NY$65,283
Davenport, IA$65,283
Tucson, AZ$65,248
Saint Petersburg, FL$65,207
Tampa, FL$65,193
Evansville, IN$65,152
Port Arthur, TX$65,152
Bradenton, FL$65,125
Santa Fe, NM$65,001
Orlando, FL$64,877
Clearwater, FL$64,856
Canton, OH$64,712
La Crosse, WI$64,712
Albuquerque, NM$64,671
Newport News, VA$64,664
High Point, NC$64,643
Ogden, UT$64,616
Corpus Christi, TX$64,560
Norfolk, VA$64,519
Laramie, WY$64,519
Rock Island, IL$64,478
Saginaw, MI$64,464
Jacksonville, FL$64,457
Salisbury, NC$64,444
Boise, ID$64,430
Moline, IL$64,395
Fort Myers, FL$64,375
Memphis, TN$64,361
Tulsa, OK$64,327
Waterloo, IA$64,285
Spartanburg, SC$64,217
Lincoln, NE$64,182
Fort Wayne, IN$64,168
Provo, UT$64,162
Cedar Falls, IA$64,079
San Antonio, TX$64,051
Greensboro, NC$64,024
South Bend, IN$64,017
Savannah, GA$63,941
Muskegon, MI$63,914
Birmingham, AL$63,907
Winston Salem, NC$63,873
Lake Charles, LA$63,708
Anderson, IN$63,694
Lexington, KY$63,673
Augusta, GA$63,653
Greenville, SC$63,653
Lima, OH$63,598
Wichita, KS$63,591
Tuscaloosa, AL$63,591
Columbia, SC$63,529
Springfield, OH$63,515
Asheville, NC$63,405
Bloomington, IN$63,357
Knoxville, TN$63,109
Shreveport, LA$63,102
Wilmington, NC$63,013
Roanoke, VA$63,013
Topeka, KS$62,889
Frankfort, KY$62,881
Oklahoma City, OK$62,834
Chillicothe, OH$62,806
Longview, TX$62,800
Melbourne, FL$62,793
Sioux Falls, SD$62,683
Mobile, AL$62,676
Terre Haute, IN$62,648
Altoona, PA$62,607
Amarillo, TX$62,559
Killeen, TX$62,538
Fayetteville, AR$62,483
Chattanooga, TN$62,463
Sioux City, IA$62,401
Idaho Falls, ID$62,387
Lynchburg, VA$62,332
Gainesville, FL$62,242
Portsmouth, OH$62,208
Little Rock, AR$62,194
Lafayette, LA$62,167
Youngstown, OH$62,167
Daytona Beach, FL$62,126
Clarksville, TN$62,119
Pensacola, FL$62,112
Temple, TX$62,107
Hopkinsville, KY$61,905
Erie, PA$61,892
Florence, SC$61,864
Charleston, WV$61,754
Great Falls, MT$61,720
Macon, GA$61,623
Tallahassee, FL$61,617
Fayetteville, NC$61,603
Waco, TX$61,589
Helena, MT$61,541
Pine Bluff, AR$61,515
Vincennes, IN$61,431
Lubbock, TX$61,403
Alamogordo, NM$61,362
Twin Falls, ID$61,300
Rapid City, SD$61,279
Jackson, MS$61,156
Huntington, WV$61,151
Greenville, MS$61,149
Parkersburg, WV$61,079
Montgomery, AL$61,066
Wichita Falls, TX$60,997
Springfield, MO$60,997
Biloxi, MS$60,963
Monroe, LA$60,894
Johnstown, PA$60,846
Sumter, SC$60,819
Columbus, GA$60,812
Pascagoula, MS$60,681
Abilene, TX$60,681
Kingsport, TN$60,502
Albany, GA$60,502
Gulfport, MS$60,482
Alexandria, LA$60,255
Fort Smith, AR$60,083
El Paso, TX$59,897
Las Cruces, NM$59,587
Harlingen, TX$59,413
Pocatello, ID$59,402
Florence, AL$59,312
Brownsville, TX$59,299
Mcallen, TX$59,154
Dothan, AL$59,058
Columbus, MS$58,649
Altus, OK$58,329
Lawton, OK$58,198
Pierre, SD$57,950
What Skills Can Increase a Lab Operations Associate's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 7.25% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Laboratory Equipment (Mentioned in 2.89% Job Postings): Utilizing various tools and equipment to conduct scientific researches, teach practical science, or perform laboratory experiments.
Quality Assurance (Mentioned in 1.88% Job Postings): Verifying the adherence of product with required specifications and expectations to track and resolve deficiencies prior to product release.
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 Lab Operations Associate's salary.
Clinical Research: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Lab Operations Associate Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Lab Operations Associate roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 53% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Financial Services and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Lab Operations Associate positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Lab Operations Associate as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Lab Operations Associate
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services
$85,980
$41.0
25%
Biotechnology
$82,541
$40.0
20%
Business Services
$79,101
$38.0
15%
Aerospace & Defense
$75,662
$36.0
10%
Chemicals
$75,662
$36.0
10%
How Education impacts a Lab Operations Associate's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Lab Operations Associates enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Lab Operations Associate with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$68,135
and $75,011).
Understanding how a Lab Operations Associate'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 September 01, 2026
$58,090
Average$68,784/year
$75,425
$4,841
Average$5,732/month
$6,285
$1,117
Average$1,323/week
$1,450
$28
Average$33/hour
$36
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$75,425
$6,285
$1,450
$36
Average
$68,784
$5,732
$1,323
$33
25th Percentile
$58,090
$4,841
$1,117
$28
Salaries of Jobs related to Lab Operations Associate
Salaries for a Lab Operations Associate can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $65,762 in 2023
to around $65,435 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Lab Operations Associate salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Lab Operations Associate Over Time
$???
$65,762
$65,645
$65,435
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$65,762
2024
$65,645
2025
$65,435
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Lab Operations Associate
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Lab Operations Associate
Here are companies hiring for Lab Operations Associate 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
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FAQ about Lab Operations Associate
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Lab Operations Associate?
The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Lab Operations Associate roles,
with salaries approximately 25% 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.
