Associate Laboratory Director Salary in the United States

How much does an Associate Laboratory Director make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for an Associate Laboratory Director in the United States is $148,287 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $71.

However, an Associate Laboratory Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $178,325
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $136,700 to $164,010
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $126,151
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View as table View as graph 25% $136,700 10% $126,151 90% $178,325 75% $164,010 $148,287 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Associate Laboratory Director Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $164,010 $13,668 $3,154 $79
Average $148,287 $12,357 $2,852 $71
25th Percentile $136,700 $11,392 $2,629 $66
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Key Factors That Influence Associate Laboratory Director Salaries

An Associate Laboratory Director'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 Associate Laboratory Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Associate Laboratory Director'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): $84,250
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $99,423
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $121,209
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $147,131
  • Expert (over 8 years): $172,515
Levels Salary
Laborator... Level Associate Laboratory Director$84,250
Laborator... Level Associate Laboratory Director$99,423
Laborator... Level Associate Laboratory Director$121,209
Associate... Level Associate Laboratory Director$147,131
Laborator... Level Associate Laboratory Director$172,515
$84,250 0 yr
$99,423 < 2 yrs
$121,209 2-4 yrs
$147,131 5-8 yrs
$172,515 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Associate Laboratory Director 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 Associate Laboratory Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $164,183.
  • California: $163,561.
  • Massachusetts: $161,381.

Top Paying Cities for Associate Laboratory Directors

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: $187,034
  • San Francisco: $185,196
  • Oakland: $181,088

What Skills Can Increase an Associate Laboratory Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 11.47% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Microbiology (Mentioned in 3.33% 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.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 2.33% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 11.47%
Microbiology 3.33%
Acute Care 2.33%
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 an Associate Laboratory Director's salary.
  • Team Management: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Continuous Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Team Management
$163,116
10%
Innovation
$157,184
6%
Continuous Improvement
$155,701
5%
Quality Management
$155,701
5%
Consulting
$155,701
5%
Collaboration
$155,701
5%
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How Education impacts an Associate Laboratory Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Associate Laboratory Directors 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 an Associate Laboratory Director with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $140,319 and $151,150).

Associate Laboratory Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Associate Laboratory Director
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 0.7%
Associates 1.5%
Bachelors 35.1%
Masters 49.3%
Doctorate 13.4%
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Associate Laboratory Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Associate Laboratory Director'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 March 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Associate Laboratory Director

Salaries for an Associate Laboratory Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $161,013 in 2023 to around $158,304 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Associate Laboratory Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Associate Laboratory Director Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$161,013
2024
$159,823
2025
$158,304
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $161,013
2024 $159,823
2025 $158,304
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Associate Laboratory Director

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Associate Laboratory Director

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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.)

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