How much does a Lab Technician make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lab Technician in the United States is $46,687 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.
However, a Lab Technician's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $57,794
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,829 to $52,501
Key Factors That Influence Lab Technician Salaries
A 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 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 Lab Technicians. 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: $58,886
San Francisco: $58,241
Oakland: $57,014
San Jose, CA$58,886
San Francisco, CA$58,241
Oakland, CA$57,014
New York, NY$53,755
Paramus, NJ$53,101
Queens Village, NY$53,099
Passaic, NJ$53,054
Bergenfield, NJ$53,050
Stamford, CT$52,947
Huntington, NY$52,928
Newark, NJ$52,583
Bridgeport, CT$52,485
Vallejo, CA$52,392
New Brunswick, NJ$52,373
Petaluma, CA$52,345
Middlesex, NJ$52,257
Somerset, NJ$52,224
Santa Cruz, CA$52,163
Boston, MA$51,878
Monterey, CA$51,715
Seattle, WA$51,608
Santa Rosa, CA$51,598
Los Angeles, CA$51,584
Juneau, AK$51,463
Washington, DC$51,412
Orange, CA$51,245
Santa Ana, CA$51,122
Long Beach, CA$51,075
Anaheim, CA$51,066
Anchorage, AK$51,043
Santa Maria, CA$50,903
Everett, WA$50,893
Danbury, CT$50,729
Bremerton, WA$50,665
Tacoma, WA$50,496
New Suffolk, NY$50,496
Sacramento, CA$50,482
Santa Barbara, CA$50,431
Trenton, NJ$50,380
San Diego, CA$50,380
Brockton, MA$50,328
Fairbanks, AK$50,214
Lompoc, CA$50,095
Lowell, MA$50,057
Ventura, CA$50,048
Nashua, NH$50,039
Stockton, CA$50,034
Modesto, CA$49,693
Poughkeepsie, NY$49,591
Olympia, WA$49,502
Kennewick, WA$49,502
New Haven, CT$49,483
Lawrence, MA$49,315
Hartford, CT$49,269
Riverside, CA$49,259
New Bedford, MA$49,213
Richland, WA$49,213
Bakersfield, CA$49,147
San Bernardino, CA$49,129
New Britain, CT$49,124
Atlantic City, NJ$49,124
New London, CT$49,105
Norwich, CT$49,091
Portsmouth, NH$49,082
Boulder, CO$48,983
Portland, OR$48,918
Worcester, MA$48,914
Minneapolis, MN$48,769
Philadelphia, PA$48,704
Honolulu, HI$48,550
Saint Paul, MN$48,527
Vineland, NJ$48,517
Providence, RI$48,382
Chicago, IL$48,246
Bellingham, WA$48,190
Springfield, MA$48,153
Baltimore, MD$48,139
Chico, CA$48,022
Pittsfield, MA$47,896
Manchester, NH$47,807
Spokane, WA$47,602
Denver, CO$47,597
Albany, NY$47,378
Troy, NY$47,359
Nassau, NY$47,309
Schenectady, NY$47,261
Wilmington, DE$47,224
Burlington, VT$47,158
Salem, OR$47,140
Portland, ME$46,995
Yakima, WA$46,948
Rochester, MN$46,804
Reno, NV$46,780
Fresno, CA$46,780
Milwaukee, WI$46,738
Detroit, MI$46,691
Ann Arbor, MI$46,684
Allentown, PA$46,677
Colorado Springs, CO$46,598
Syracuse, NY$46,575
Carson City, NV$46,575
Houston, TX$46,509
Eugene, OR$46,486
Gary, IN$46,430
Springfield, OR$46,393
Bismarck, ND$46,383
Galveston, TX$46,351
Medford, OR$46,281
Fort Collins, CO$46,262
Concord, NH$46,239
Austin, TX$46,225
Mesa, AZ$46,127
Reading, PA$46,122
Phoenix, AZ$46,117
Dallas, TX$46,103
Saint Cloud, MN$46,058
Madison, WI$45,996
Utica, NY$45,870
Rochester, NY$45,795
Des Moines, IA$45,790
Raleigh, NC$45,786
Atlanta, GA$45,716
Battle Creek, MI$45,702
Salt Lake City, UT$45,688
Lancaster, PA$45,618
Harrisburg, PA$45,552
Kansas City, MO$45,506
Champaign, IL$45,496
Kansas City, KS$45,496
Fort Worth, TX$45,492
Columbus, OH$45,484
Boca Raton, FL$45,473
Pittsburgh, PA$45,454
Richmond, VA$45,436
Indianapolis, IN$45,426
Cleveland, OH$45,422
Las Vegas, NV$45,366
Cincinnati, OH$45,366
Petersburg, VA$45,296
Huntsville, AL$45,226
Lansing, MI$45,194
Lebanon, PA$45,188
Pueblo, CO$45,183
Appleton, WI$45,169
Buffalo, NY$45,151
Dayton, OH$45,137
Racine, WI$45,127
Charlotte, NC$45,123
Saint Louis, MO$45,109
York, PA$45,081
Elkhart, IN$45,081
Gastonia, NC$45,072
Billings, MT$45,061
Beaumont, TX$45,048
Lorain, OH$45,039
Benton Harbor, MI$45,029
Toledo, OH$45,020
Binghamton, NY$44,997
Rock Hill, SC$44,992
Rockford, IL$44,969
Springfield, IL$44,950
Elyria, OH$44,945
Fargo, ND$44,945
Flagstaff, AZ$44,913
Fort Lauderdale, FL$44,885
Duluth, MN$44,857
Miami, FL$44,857
Cheyenne, WY$44,824
Grand Forks, ND$44,824
Bangor, ME$44,721
Cedar Rapids, IA$44,670
Durham, NC$44,650
Louisville, KY$44,647
Grand Rapids, MI$44,637
Hialeah, FL$44,633
Casper, WY$44,567
Scranton, PA$44,511
New Orleans, LA$44,497
Virginia Beach, VA$44,493
Akron, OH$44,469
Peoria, IL$44,408
Sarasota, FL$44,399
Nashville, TN$44,366
Omaha, NE$44,366
Green Bay, WI$44,366
Baton Rouge, LA$44,343
Charleston, SC$44,334
Jamestown, NY$44,310
Davenport, IA$44,310
Tucson, AZ$44,287
Saint Petersburg, FL$44,259
Tampa, FL$44,250
Evansville, IN$44,222
Port Arthur, TX$44,222
Bradenton, FL$44,203
Santa Fe, NM$44,119
Orlando, FL$44,035
Clearwater, FL$44,021
Canton, OH$43,923
La Crosse, WI$43,923
Albuquerque, NM$43,895
Newport News, VA$43,890
High Point, NC$43,876
Ogden, UT$43,858
Corpus Christi, TX$43,820
Norfolk, VA$43,792
Laramie, WY$43,792
Rock Island, IL$43,764
Saginaw, MI$43,755
Jacksonville, FL$43,750
Salisbury, NC$43,741
Boise, ID$43,732
Moline, IL$43,708
Fort Myers, FL$43,694
Memphis, TN$43,685
Tulsa, OK$43,661
Waterloo, IA$43,633
Spartanburg, SC$43,587
Lincoln, NE$43,563
Fort Wayne, IN$43,554
Provo, UT$43,549
Cedar Falls, IA$43,493
San Antonio, TX$43,475
Greensboro, NC$43,456
South Bend, IN$43,451
Savannah, GA$43,400
Muskegon, MI$43,381
Birmingham, AL$43,377
Winston Salem, NC$43,354
Lake Charles, LA$43,241
Anderson, IN$43,232
Lexington, KY$43,218
Augusta, GA$43,204
Greenville, SC$43,204
Lima, OH$43,167
Wichita, KS$43,162
Tuscaloosa, AL$43,162
Columbia, SC$43,120
Springfield, OH$43,111
Asheville, NC$43,036
Bloomington, IN$43,003
Knoxville, TN$42,835
Shreveport, LA$42,830
Wilmington, NC$42,770
Roanoke, VA$42,770
Topeka, KS$42,686
Frankfort, KY$42,681
Oklahoma City, OK$42,648
Chillicothe, OH$42,630
Longview, TX$42,625
Melbourne, FL$42,620
Sioux Falls, SD$42,546
Mobile, AL$42,541
Terre Haute, IN$42,522
Altoona, PA$42,494
Amarillo, TX$42,462
Killeen, TX$42,448
Fayetteville, AR$42,410
Chattanooga, TN$42,396
Sioux City, IA$42,354
Idaho Falls, ID$42,345
Lynchburg, VA$42,308
Gainesville, FL$42,247
Portsmouth, OH$42,224
Little Rock, AR$42,214
Lafayette, LA$42,196
Youngstown, OH$42,196
Daytona Beach, FL$42,168
Clarksville, TN$42,163
Pensacola, FL$42,158
Temple, TX$42,155
Hopkinsville, KY$42,018
Erie, PA$42,009
Florence, SC$41,990
Charleston, WV$41,915
Great Falls, MT$41,892
Macon, GA$41,827
Tallahassee, FL$41,822
Fayetteville, NC$41,813
Waco, TX$41,803
Helena, MT$41,771
Pine Bluff, AR$41,753
Vincennes, IN$41,696
Lubbock, TX$41,677
Alamogordo, NM$41,649
Twin Falls, ID$41,607
Rapid City, SD$41,593
Jackson, MS$41,509
Huntington, WV$41,506
Greenville, MS$41,505
Parkersburg, WV$41,457
Montgomery, AL$41,449
Wichita Falls, TX$41,402
Springfield, MO$41,402
Biloxi, MS$41,379
Monroe, LA$41,332
Johnstown, PA$41,299
Sumter, SC$41,280
Columbus, GA$41,276
Pascagoula, MS$41,187
Abilene, TX$41,187
Kingsport, TN$41,066
Albany, GA$41,066
Gulfport, MS$41,052
Alexandria, LA$40,898
Fort Smith, AR$40,781
El Paso, TX$40,655
Las Cruces, NM$40,445
Harlingen, TX$40,326
Pocatello, ID$40,319
Florence, AL$40,258
Brownsville, TX$40,249
Mcallen, TX$40,151
Dothan, AL$40,085
Columbus, MS$39,808
Altus, OK$39,590
Lawton, OK$39,502
Pierre, SD$39,334
What Skills Can Increase a Lab Technician's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 3.62% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Hematology (Mentioned in 3.33% Job Postings): Hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood.
Quality Assurance (Mentioned in 1.92% 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 Technician's salary.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Lab Technician Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Lab Technician roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 70% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Lab Technician positions in Telecom or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Lab Technician as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Lab Technician
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$65,362
$31.0
40%
Pharmaceuticals
$60,693
$29.0
30%
Healthcare
$56,024
$27.0
20%
Internet
$51,355
$25.0
10%
Chemicals
$49,021
$24.0
5%
Lab Technician Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a 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.
Salaries for a Lab Technician can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $49,951 in 2023
to around $49,705 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Lab Technician salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Lab Technician Over Time
$???
$49,951
$50,080
$49,705
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$49,951
2024
$50,080
2025
$49,705
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Lab Technician
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Lab Technician
Here are companies hiring for 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 Lab Technician Job
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FAQ about Lab Technician
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Lab Technician?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Lab Technician roles,
with salaries approximately 40% 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.
