Pay Scale

• The average salary of a microbiology lab technician was $38,190 per year, as of May 2010, according to the BLS. The median salary for these technicians was $36,280 per year, while those in the middle 50 percent of the pay scale made salaries ranging from $28,950 to $45,690 per year. At the upper end of the pay scale were those technicians who made salaries of $56,040 or higher. The lowest-paid technicians, on the other hand, made $24,210 or less per year.
  
  

Employers

• The employer of a microbiology lab technician also provides an indicator of how much she can expect to be paid. The largest number of technicians worked in medical and surgical hospitals and earned an average salary of $38,920 per year in 2010, according to the BLS. The highest paid technicians worked in dentist offices and junior colleges, earning average salaries of $53,460 and $50,810, respectively. Those working for medical and diagnostic laboratories only made $36,240 by comparison.
  
  

Location

• Where the microbiology lab technician works also provides a general indicator of her expected salary. According to the BLS, California and Texas were the states with the largest numbers of workers in this field. Microbiology lab technicians in these states made annual salaries of $42,290 and $34,450 in 2010, respectively. The highest salaries were made by those technicians working in Rhode Island, who made an average salary of $59,510. The second-highest salaries were made by those working in the District of Columbia, who made $48,290.
  
  

Job Outlook

• According to the BLS, the number of jobs for microbiology lab technicians is expected to grow by 14 percent during the period from 2008 to 2018. Since many microbiology lab technicians work in medical labs, job growth will be heavily dependent upon the continued growth of the medical field. The bureau indicates that growth in medical care should continue at a rapid pace because of the increased size and age of the population, which will bring greater demand for medical services, including testing conducted by lab technicians.