As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Biologist I in the United States is $57,872. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $50,462 to $64,186, with most professionals earning between $43,716 and $69,935.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $64,186 | $5,349 | $1,234 | $31 |
| Average | $57,872 | $4,823 | $1,113 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,462 | $4,205 | $970 | $24 |
An entry-level Biologist I with less than 1 year of experience earns about $57,319. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $58,060. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $59,474. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $59,757, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $59,945.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Biologist I | $57,319 |
| Intermediate Level Biologist I | $58,060 |
| Senior Level Biologist I | $59,474 |
| Specialist Level Biologist I | $59,757 |
| Expert Level Biologist I | $59,945 |
| Entry Level | 1% |
| Mid Level | 0% |
| Senior Level | 3% |
| Top Level | 3% |
| Experienced | 4% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of April 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Biologist I compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $54,738 in 2023 to approximately $54,710 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Biologist I salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Biologist I information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Biologist I job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Biologist I and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $57,872 | 69.3% | ||
| Bonus | $0 | 0.0% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $4,427 | 5.3% | ||
| 401K/403B | $2,315 | 2.8% | ||
| Disability | $1,157 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $6,374 | 7.6% | ||
| Pension | $3,183 | 3.8% | ||
| Time Off | $8,236 | 9.9% | ||
| Total Compensation | $83,564 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 1.3% |
| High School | 1.3% |
| Associates | 2.0% |
| Bachelors | 58.9% |
| Masters | 24.1% |
| Doctorate | 12.5% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Biologist I is $57,872. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Biologist I is $28; the average weekly pay of Biologist I is $1,113; the average monthly pay of Biologist I is $4,823.
A Biologist I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Biologist I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Biologist I is $72,994.
The highest pay for Biologist I is $69,935.
The lowest pay for Biologist I is $43,716.
Studies the basic principles of plant and animal life and the effects of varying environmental and physical conditions such as radioactivity or pollution. Studies reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites, bacteria, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Work is closely managed.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Microbiology: 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: 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.
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.)
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