How much does a Cell Biologist make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cell Biologist in the United States is $56,741 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.
However, a Cell Biologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $66,593
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $50,670 to $61,898
Key Factors That Influence Cell Biologist Salaries
A Cell 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 Cell Biologist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Cell 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:
How Do Cell Biologist 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 Cell Biologists. 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: $71,568
San Francisco: $70,784
Oakland: $69,292
San Jose, CA$71,568
San Francisco, CA$70,784
Oakland, CA$69,292
New York, NY$65,331
Paramus, NJ$64,537
Queens Village, NY$64,534
Passaic, NJ$64,480
Bergenfield, NJ$64,475
Stamford, CT$64,350
Huntington, NY$64,327
Newark, NJ$63,908
Bridgeport, CT$63,788
Vallejo, CA$63,675
New Brunswick, NJ$63,652
Petaluma, CA$63,618
Middlesex, NJ$63,511
Somerset, NJ$63,471
Santa Cruz, CA$63,397
Boston, MA$63,051
Monterey, CA$62,852
Seattle, WA$62,722
Santa Rosa, CA$62,710
Los Angeles, CA$62,693
Juneau, AK$62,546
Washington, DC$62,484
Orange, CA$62,282
Santa Ana, CA$62,132
Long Beach, CA$62,075
Anaheim, CA$62,064
Anchorage, AK$62,035
Santa Maria, CA$61,865
Everett, WA$61,854
Danbury, CT$61,654
Bremerton, WA$61,576
Tacoma, WA$61,371
New Suffolk, NY$61,370
Sacramento, CA$61,354
Santa Barbara, CA$61,292
Trenton, NJ$61,230
San Diego, CA$61,230
Brockton, MA$61,167
Fairbanks, AK$61,028
Lompoc, CA$60,883
Lowell, MA$60,837
Ventura, CA$60,827
Nashua, NH$60,815
Stockton, CA$60,810
Modesto, CA$60,395
Poughkeepsie, NY$60,271
Olympia, WA$60,163
Kennewick, WA$60,163
New Haven, CT$60,140
Lawrence, MA$59,936
Hartford, CT$59,879
Riverside, CA$59,868
New Bedford, MA$59,811
Richland, WA$59,811
Bakersfield, CA$59,732
San Bernardino, CA$59,709
New Britain, CT$59,703
Atlantic City, NJ$59,703
New London, CT$59,680
Norwich, CT$59,663
Portsmouth, NH$59,652
Boulder, CO$59,532
Portland, OR$59,454
Worcester, MA$59,448
Minneapolis, MN$59,272
Philadelphia, PA$59,193
Honolulu, HI$59,005
Saint Paul, MN$58,978
Vineland, NJ$58,966
Providence, RI$58,801
Chicago, IL$58,636
Bellingham, WA$58,568
Springfield, MA$58,523
Baltimore, MD$58,506
Chico, CA$58,364
Pittsfield, MA$58,211
Manchester, NH$58,103
Spokane, WA$57,853
Denver, CO$57,848
Albany, NY$57,581
Troy, NY$57,558
Nassau, NY$57,498
Schenectady, NY$57,439
Wilmington, DE$57,394
Burlington, VT$57,314
Salem, OR$57,292
Portland, ME$57,116
Yakima, WA$57,059
Rochester, MN$56,883
Reno, NV$56,855
Fresno, CA$56,855
Milwaukee, WI$56,804
Detroit, MI$56,747
Ann Arbor, MI$56,737
Allentown, PA$56,730
Colorado Springs, CO$56,633
Syracuse, NY$56,605
Carson City, NV$56,605
Houston, TX$56,526
Eugene, OR$56,497
Gary, IN$56,429
Springfield, OR$56,384
Bismarck, ND$56,372
Galveston, TX$56,333
Medford, OR$56,248
Fort Collins, CO$56,225
Concord, NH$56,197
Austin, TX$56,180
Mesa, AZ$56,060
Reading, PA$56,055
Phoenix, AZ$56,049
Dallas, TX$56,032
Saint Cloud, MN$55,978
Madison, WI$55,902
Utica, NY$55,748
Rochester, NY$55,658
Des Moines, IA$55,652
Raleigh, NC$55,646
Atlanta, GA$55,561
Battle Creek, MI$55,544
Salt Lake City, UT$55,527
Lancaster, PA$55,442
Harrisburg, PA$55,362
Kansas City, MO$55,306
Champaign, IL$55,294
Kansas City, KS$55,294
Fort Worth, TX$55,289
Columbus, OH$55,279
Boca Raton, FL$55,266
Pittsburgh, PA$55,243
Richmond, VA$55,221
Indianapolis, IN$55,209
Cleveland, OH$55,204
Las Vegas, NV$55,136
Cincinnati, OH$55,136
Petersburg, VA$55,050
Huntsville, AL$54,965
Lansing, MI$54,927
Lebanon, PA$54,920
Pueblo, CO$54,914
Appleton, WI$54,897
Buffalo, NY$54,875
Dayton, OH$54,857
Racine, WI$54,846
Charlotte, NC$54,840
Saint Louis, MO$54,823
York, PA$54,789
Elkhart, IN$54,789
Gastonia, NC$54,779
Billings, MT$54,765
Beaumont, TX$54,750
Lorain, OH$54,738
Benton Harbor, MI$54,727
Toledo, OH$54,716
Binghamton, NY$54,687
Rock Hill, SC$54,682
Rockford, IL$54,653
Springfield, IL$54,631
Elyria, OH$54,625
Fargo, ND$54,625
Flagstaff, AZ$54,585
Fort Lauderdale, FL$54,551
Duluth, MN$54,517
Miami, FL$54,517
Cheyenne, WY$54,477
Grand Forks, ND$54,477
Bangor, ME$54,352
Cedar Rapids, IA$54,290
Durham, NC$54,266
Louisville, KY$54,262
Grand Rapids, MI$54,250
Hialeah, FL$54,245
Casper, WY$54,165
Scranton, PA$54,097
New Orleans, LA$54,080
Virginia Beach, VA$54,074
Akron, OH$54,046
Peoria, IL$53,972
Sarasota, FL$53,961
Nashville, TN$53,921
Omaha, NE$53,921
Green Bay, WI$53,921
Baton Rouge, LA$53,893
Charleston, SC$53,882
Jamestown, NY$53,853
Davenport, IA$53,853
Tucson, AZ$53,825
Saint Petersburg, FL$53,791
Tampa, FL$53,779
Evansville, IN$53,745
Port Arthur, TX$53,745
Bradenton, FL$53,723
Santa Fe, NM$53,621
Orlando, FL$53,518
Clearwater, FL$53,501
Canton, OH$53,382
La Crosse, WI$53,382
Albuquerque, NM$53,348
Newport News, VA$53,342
High Point, NC$53,325
Ogden, UT$53,303
Corpus Christi, TX$53,257
Norfolk, VA$53,223
Laramie, WY$53,223
Rock Island, IL$53,189
Saginaw, MI$53,178
Jacksonville, FL$53,172
Salisbury, NC$53,161
Boise, ID$53,150
Moline, IL$53,121
Fort Myers, FL$53,104
Memphis, TN$53,093
Tulsa, OK$53,064
Waterloo, IA$53,030
Spartanburg, SC$52,974
Lincoln, NE$52,945
Fort Wayne, IN$52,934
Provo, UT$52,928
Cedar Falls, IA$52,860
San Antonio, TX$52,837
Greensboro, NC$52,815
South Bend, IN$52,809
Savannah, GA$52,747
Muskegon, MI$52,724
Birmingham, AL$52,718
Winston Salem, NC$52,691
Lake Charles, LA$52,554
Anderson, IN$52,542
Lexington, KY$52,525
Augusta, GA$52,508
Greenville, SC$52,508
Lima, OH$52,463
Wichita, KS$52,457
Tuscaloosa, AL$52,457
Columbia, SC$52,406
Springfield, OH$52,395
Asheville, NC$52,304
Bloomington, IN$52,264
Knoxville, TN$52,060
Shreveport, LA$52,054
Wilmington, NC$51,981
Roanoke, VA$51,981
Topeka, KS$51,879
Frankfort, KY$51,872
Oklahoma City, OK$51,833
Chillicothe, OH$51,810
Longview, TX$51,805
Melbourne, FL$51,799
Sioux Falls, SD$51,708
Mobile, AL$51,703
Terre Haute, IN$51,680
Altoona, PA$51,646
Amarillo, TX$51,606
Killeen, TX$51,589
Fayetteville, AR$51,544
Chattanooga, TN$51,527
Sioux City, IA$51,476
Idaho Falls, ID$51,464
Lynchburg, VA$51,419
Gainesville, FL$51,345
Portsmouth, OH$51,317
Little Rock, AR$51,305
Lafayette, LA$51,283
Youngstown, OH$51,283
Daytona Beach, FL$51,249
Clarksville, TN$51,243
Pensacola, FL$51,237
Temple, TX$51,233
Hopkinsville, KY$51,067
Erie, PA$51,056
Florence, SC$51,033
Charleston, WV$50,942
Great Falls, MT$50,914
Macon, GA$50,835
Tallahassee, FL$50,829
Fayetteville, NC$50,818
Waco, TX$50,806
Helena, MT$50,766
Pine Bluff, AR$50,745
Vincennes, IN$50,676
Lubbock, TX$50,653
Alamogordo, NM$50,619
Twin Falls, ID$50,568
Rapid City, SD$50,551
Jackson, MS$50,449
Huntington, WV$50,445
Greenville, MS$50,443
Parkersburg, WV$50,385
Montgomery, AL$50,375
Wichita Falls, TX$50,318
Springfield, MO$50,318
Biloxi, MS$50,290
Monroe, LA$50,233
Johnstown, PA$50,193
Sumter, SC$50,171
Columbus, GA$50,165
Pascagoula, MS$50,057
Abilene, TX$50,057
Kingsport, TN$49,910
Albany, GA$49,910
Gulfport, MS$49,893
Alexandria, LA$49,705
Fort Smith, AR$49,564
El Paso, TX$49,410
Las Cruces, NM$49,155
Harlingen, TX$49,011
Pocatello, ID$49,002
Florence, AL$48,928
Brownsville, TX$48,917
Mcallen, TX$48,798
Dothan, AL$48,718
Columbus, MS$48,381
Altus, OK$48,117
Lawton, OK$48,009
Pierre, SD$47,805
What Skills Can Increase a Cell Biologist'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.
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 Cell Biologist'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%.
Cell Biologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Cell Biologist 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, Cell Biologist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Cell Biologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Cell Biologist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$85,112
$41.0
50%
How Education impacts a Cell Biologist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Cell Biologists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree 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 Cell Biologist with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$55,345
and $58,563).
Cell Biologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Cell 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.
Salaries for a Cell Biologist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $53,342 in 2023
to around $53,114 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Cell Biologist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Cell Biologist Over Time
$???
$53,342
$53,315
$53,114
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$53,342
2024
$53,315
2025
$53,114
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Cell Biologist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Cell Biologist
Here are companies hiring for Cell Biologist 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 Cell Biologist Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Cell Biologist 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
FAQ about Cell Biologist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Cell Biologist?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Cell Biologist 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.
