Laboratory Scientist Salary in the United States

How much does a Laboratory Scientist make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Laboratory Scientist in the United States is $124,217 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $60.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $151,655
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $111,601 to $138,579
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $100,115
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View as table View as graph 25% $111,601 10% $100,115 90% $151,655 75% $138,579 $124,217 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Laboratory Scientist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $138,579 $11,548 $2,665 $67
Average $124,217 $10,351 $2,389 $60
25th Percentile $111,601 $9,300 $2,146 $54
Check out Laboratory Scientist Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence Laboratory Scientist Salaries

A Laboratory Scientist'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.

Top Paying Cities for Laboratory Scientists

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: $156,675
  • San Francisco: $155,135
  • Oakland: $151,694

What Skills Can Increase a Laboratory Scientist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 12.14% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 2.81% 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.
  • Process Development (Mentioned in 1.78% Job Postings): Process development consists of designing and developing, as well as evaluating costs and efficiency.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 12.14%
Data Analysis 2.81%
Process Development 1.78%
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 Laboratory Scientist's salary.
  • Drug Discovery: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Machine Learning: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Drug Discovery
$134,154
8%
Oncology
$132,912
7%
Machine Learning
$131,670
6%
Cell Biology
$130,428
5%
Biotechnology
$130,428
5%
Immunology
$130,428
5%
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How Education impacts a Laboratory Scientist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Laboratory Scientists enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent 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 Laboratory Scientist with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $128,693 and $136,760).

Laboratory Scientist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Laboratory Scientist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 0.2%
Associates 9.9%
Bachelors 11.2%
Masters 9.9%
Doctorate 78.7%
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Laboratory Scientist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Laboratory Scientist'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 April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Laboratory Scientist

Salaries for a Laboratory Scientist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $89,483 in 2023 to around $87,119 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Laboratory Scientist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Laboratory Scientist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$89,483
2024
$88,371
2025
$87,119
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $89,483
2024 $88,371
2025 $87,119
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Laboratory Scientist

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

Here are companies hiring for Laboratory Scientist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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

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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.)

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

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