Know your market value with insights across roles — from individual contributors to executive pay and overall company compensation trends.
Access a suite of powerful calculators to make data-driven career decisions.
Automate pay cycles, manage job architectures, and ensure pay equity with AI-powered compensation platforms.
Access validated salary benchmarks, labor market trends, and minimum wage data to stay competitive.
Participate in and purchase industry-specific salary surveys to obtain the most accurate, peer-reported pay data.
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lab Director in California is $159,424 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $77.
However, a Lab Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
Recruit with AI
AI-Powered HR
Lab Director Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $176,316 | $14,693 | $3,391 | $85 |
| Average | $159,424 | $13,285 | $3,066 | $77 |
| 25th Percentile | $147,059 | $12,255 | $2,828 | $71 |
Staffosaurus - Irvine, CA
Viridian Staffing - Los Angeles, CA
Bionano - San Diego, CA
WSP in the U.S. - San Diego, CA
A Lab 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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Lab 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:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Laborator... Level Lab Director | $90,561 |
| Laborator... Level Lab Director | $106,867 |
| Laborator... Level Lab Director | $130,325 |
| Lab Direc... Level Lab Director | $158,182 |
| Laborator... Level Lab Director | $185,365 |
What Am I Worth?
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 Directors. 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:
For Lab Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Lab Director positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Lab Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
| Industry Sector | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Rate | Pay vs.Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology | $199,280 | $96.0 | 25% |
| Financial Services | $191,309 | $92.0 | 20% |
| Aerospace & Defense | $175,367 | $84.0 | 10% |
| Energy & Utilities | $175,367 | $84.0 | 10% |
| Insurance | $175,367 | $84.0 | 10% |
Understanding how a Lab 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.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $176,316 | $14,693 | $3,391 | $85 |
| Average | $159,424 | $13,285 | $3,066 | $77 |
| 25th Percentile | $147,059 | $12,255 | $2,828 | $71 |
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Lab Director job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Southern Medical Recruiters
Lompoc, CA
Southern Medical Recruiters | Lompoc, CA
Lab Director, Hospital Lab Management RoleClients are general acute care hospitals nationwide.Southern Medical Recruiters is a healthcare/hospital recruitm... more
7 Days Ago
Conductor
San Jose, CA
Conductor | San Jose, CA
Senior Director, Architecture Research Lab. San Jose, California, United States. Please Note. To provide the best candidate experience amidst our high appl... more
5 Days Ago
Samsungsemiconductor
San Jose, CA
Samsungsemiconductor | San Jose, CA
Please Note. To provide the best candidate experience amidst our high application volumes, each candidate is limited to 10 applications across all open job... more
5 Days Ago
Samsung Semiconductor
San Jose, CA
Samsung Semiconductor | San Jose, CA
Samsung Semiconductor in San Jose is looking for a lead AI system architect to drive innovative research on architectures for AI workloads. The role involv... more
5 Days Ago
Conductor
San Jose, CA
Conductor | San Jose, CA
Conductor is looking for a Senior Director for its Architecture Research Lab in San Jose, California. The role involves leading cutting-edge research in AI... more
5 Days Ago
Boys & Girls Club (Central Orange Coast)
Cypress, CA
Boys & Girls Club (Central Orange Coast) | Cypress, CA
Job Description. Job Description. MISSION STATEMENT. The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast is to ensure every child has mentors and... more
6 Days Ago
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
Explore Cost of Living CalculatorSalary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.
Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
