Synthetic Biologist Salary in the United States

How much does a Synthetic Biologist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Synthetic Biologist in the United States is $83,598 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a Synthetic Biologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $100,089
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,041 to $92,230
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $67,251
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View as table View as graph 25% $75,041 10% $67,251 90% $100,089 75% $92,230 $83,598 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Synthetic Biologist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $92,230 $7,686 $1,774 $44
Average $83,598 $6,966 $1,608 $40
25th Percentile $75,041 $6,253 $1,443 $36
Check out Synthetic Biologist Job Openings in the United States
Chief AI Officer

Confidential - Columbus, OH

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Confidential - Columbus, OH

Vice President Credit Risk Strategy&Data Science

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Regional Truck Driver Company

KreilKamp Trucking - Columbus, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Synthetic Biologist Salaries

A Synthetic Biologist'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Synthetic Biologist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Synthetic Biologist'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $59,193
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $68,402
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $85,380
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $123,698
  • Expert (over 8 years): $140,208
Levels Salary
Biologist... Level Synthetic Biologist$59,193
Biologist... Level Synthetic Biologist$68,402
Synthetic... Level Synthetic Biologist$85,380
Biologist... Level Synthetic Biologist$123,698
Biologist... Level Synthetic Biologist$140,208
$59,193 0 yr
$68,402 < 2 yrs
$85,380 2-4 yrs
$123,698 5-8 yrs
$140,208 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Synthetic Biologists

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: $105,442
  • San Francisco: $104,287
  • Oakland: $102,090

What Skills Can Increase a Synthetic Biologist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 11.94% 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 2.56% 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.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 1.94% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 11.94%
Microbiology 2.56%
Data Analysis 1.94%
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 Synthetic Biologist's salary.
  • Cell Biology: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Immunology: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Cell Biology
$100,317
20%
Immunology
$96,137
15%
Innovation
$95,301
14%
Collaboration
$94,465
13%
Cell Culture
$93,629
12%
Biochemistry
$93,629
12%
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Synthetic Biologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Synthetic Biologist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Synthetic Biologist positions in Retail & Wholesale or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Synthetic Biologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Synthetic Biologist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$108,677$52.030%
Financial Services$104,497$50.025%
Biotechnology$100,317$48.020%
Energy & Utilities$96,137$46.015%
Chemicals$91,957$44.010%

How Education impacts a Synthetic Biologist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Synthetic Biologists enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA 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 Synthetic Biologist with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $80,488 and $87,513).

Synthetic Biologist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Synthetic Biologist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.9%
High School 18.4%
Associates 0.9%
Bachelors 18.4%
Masters 44.3%
Doctorate 36.3%
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Synthetic Biologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Synthetic Biologist'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.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Synthetic Biologist

Salaries for a Synthetic Biologist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $85,198 in 2023 to around $83,030 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Synthetic Biologist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Synthetic Biologist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$85,198
2024
$84,414
2025
$83,030
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $85,198
2024 $84,414
2025 $83,030
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Synthetic Biologist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Synthetic Biologist

Here are companies hiring for Synthetic Biologist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Synthetic Biologist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Synthetic Biologist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Payments Engineering. About the Company. Globally-recognized provider of corporate payment solutions. Industry. Financial Services. Type. P... more

    22 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Senior Vice President of Project Delivery. About the Company. A multi-billion-dollar construction organization with collaborative, servant-minded leadershi... more

    22 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Chief of Staff. About the Company. Innovative travel platform for booking & managing work trips. Industry. Computer Software. Type. Privately Held, VC-back... more

    22 Days Ago

  • McDonalds

    Columbus, OH

    McDonalds | Columbus, OH

    McDonald’s is seeking Crew Team Members to assist with daily restaurant operations including customer service, food preparation, and maintaining restaurant... more

    29 Days Ago

  • Amazon Flex

    Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex | Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex Delivery Drivers use their own vehicle to deliver Amazon packages to customers on scheduled delivery blocks. Drivers are responsible for pickin... more

    29 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Commercial. About the Company. Globally-recognized manufacturer of packaging components & delivery systems for injectable drugs. Industry. ... more

    1 Month Ago

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FAQ about Synthetic Biologist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Synthetic Biologist?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Synthetic Biologist roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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