Average Salaries

• From data gathered from over 16,000 individuals working as microbiologists throughout the country, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculated that the average annual wage for the occupation was $71,980, as of May 2009. This translates into a monthly salary of $5,998 and an hourly rate of $34.61. The highest earners -- those in the top 10 percent -- could earn an average salary in excess of $113,150, while those microbiologists in the bottom 10 percent received an average wage of less than $39,150.
  
  

Salaries by Industry

• The BLS survey found that the greatest number of microbiologists where employed by scientific research and development services. The average wage in this sector of the industry was $74,030. Positions within pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing paid an average of $69,830, while medical and diagnostic laboratories were listed at $80,950. Microbiologists also work for federal and state government agencies: the BLS listed the average salaries for these sectors as $97,640 and $51,840, respectively.
  
  

Geography

• Location also influences microbiology wage levels. The BLS listed Maryland and District of Columbia as the states in which, across all industry sectors, average pay rates were the highest -- $96,640 and $94,770, respectively. In contrast, Wisconsin had an average of $65,820 and Delaware, $65,400. Pay analysis website SalaryExpert.com surveyed microbiology salaries across some large U.S. cities and put Atlanta and New York at the top of the table, with $76,348 and $70,992, respectively, while Dallas was listed at just $41,976.
  
  

Outlook

• According to BLS estimates, employment growth for microbiologists should be much faster than for all occupations across the country in the decade from 2008 to 2018. It predicted that microbiologists would see a 21 percent increase in employment, while the country as a whole would grow by between 7 and 13 percent. Biotechnology is, and has been, a growth industry, and its discoveries will require expert microbiologist to interpret and apply them, particularly in the field of environmental preservation. As such, salary levels should remain very attractive.