# Biological Technicians

US SOC code 19-4021. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/19-4021

Also called: Biology technician, Lab technician, Research technician, Biotech technician, Laboratory technician.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **69,620** US biological technicians, with median pay of **$57,510** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **80,640**, in May 2020. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://history.nih.gov/display/history/Beacon+Founding+Years) of **7,145** from 1958, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for biological technicians: Next-generation sequencing platforms and bioinformatics pipelines, 2000 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=19-4021&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **26.7%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Biological Technicians employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1887
- Latest US employment: 69,620 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $57,510 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [9]
- Outlook: +7.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [23]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 22110)
  - Employment, 2020: 10,285. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 22110 Biological technologists and technicians, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$59,200. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [12]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 22110 Biological technologists and technicians, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1958 | 7,145 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NIH History Office [1] |
| 1976 | 55,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Bureau of Labor Statistics [2] |
| 1990 | 46,000 | n/a | BLS CPS 1990 [3] |
| 2000 | 41,660 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 49,550 | $32,630 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 59,710 | $33,210 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 67,080 | $34,270 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 71,590 | $35,710 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 69,110 | $37,810 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 72,200 | $38,400 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 74,560 | $38,700 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 72,940 | $39,020 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 72,140 | $39,480 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 72,740 | $39,750 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 71,590 | $40,710 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 72,640 | $41,290 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 72,900 | $41,650 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 74,720 | $42,520 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 74,980 | $43,800 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 77,450 | $44,500 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 79,530 | $45,860 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 80,640 | $46,340 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 76,150 | $48,140 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 73,710 | $49,650 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 76,990 | $51,430 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 76,190 | $52,000 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 69,620 | $57,510 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (85)

### Employment series

1. [NIH History Office — "Beacon Founding Years" (NIH workforce 1958)](https://history.nih.gov/display/history/Beacon+Founding+Years), National Institutes of Health
2. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (1976-77 edition) -- science technicians historical outlook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biological-technicians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. [BLS OES historical estimates for life/physical science technicians (1990 SOC era)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
10. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

13. [PMC -- "Keeping the culture alive: the laboratory technician in mid-twentieth-century British medical research" (history of lab technician role)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2628576/), PubMed Central / Wellcome Trust
14. [PMC -- "The history of chemical laboratories: a thematic approach" (instrumentation and laboratory evolution)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8218977/), PubMed Central
15. [NIH History Office -- "A Short History of NIH, 1887-1987" (postwar NIH laboratory and biologics expansion)](https://history.nih.gov/illustrated-histories/a-short-history-of-nih-1887-1987/), National Institutes of Health
16. [Wikipedia -- AutoAnalyzer (Technicon AutoAnalyzer invented 1957, continuous-flow analysis history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoAnalyzer), Wikipedia
17. [Labworks -- "The History and Evolution of LIMS" (first commercial 1982, 1980s instrument integration)](https://labworks.com/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-lims/), Labworks
18. [Wikipedia -- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR history, Mullis 1983, Perkin-Elmer 1987)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction), Wikipedia
19. [Human Genome Project -- "Calculating the economic impact of the Human Genome Project" (3.8 million job-years generated 1988-2010)](https://www.genome.gov/27544383/calculating-the-economic-impact-of-the-human-genome-project), National Human Genome Research Institute
20. [Wikipedia -- Illumina (company) (Genome Analyzer 2006 launch, NGS platform history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumina,_Inc.), Wikipedia
21. [Benchling -- Benchling platform (founded 2012, ELN and lab automation)](https://www.benchling.com), Benchling
22. [Opentrons -- OT-2 liquid handling robot (Opentrons founded 2013, first commercial robot 2014)](https://opentrons.com), Opentrons

### Forecasts and exposure studies

23. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 19-4021 Biological technicians (2025: 74.4 thousand; 2035: 79.9 thousand; +7.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=19-4021&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
24. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 19-4021.00, human-rated β 0.267)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

25. [PMC -- "Keeping the culture alive: the laboratory technician in mid-twentieth-century British medical research" (George Cox biography)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2628576/), PubMed Central
26. [NIH History Office -- "Beacon Founding Years" (NIH budget history from 1947)](https://history.nih.gov/display/history/Beacon+Founding+Years), National Institutes of Health
27. [Wikipedia -- History of biotechnology (Genentech founding 1976, recombinant DNA timeline)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_biotechnology), Wikipedia
28. [Wikipedia -- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR history, Kary Mullis 1983)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction), Wikipedia
29. [NHGRI -- "Calculating the economic impact of the Human Genome Project" (3.8 million job-years, 1988-2010)](https://www.genome.gov/27544383/calculating-the-economic-impact-of-the-human-genome-project), National Human Genome Research Institute
30. [Wikipedia -- Illumina (company) (Genome Analyzer launch 2006, sequencing cost history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumina,_Inc.), Wikipedia
31. [O\*NET / BLS OEWS 2024 -- 19-4021.00 Biological Technicians (COVID-era employment context)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-4021.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Predecessors & successors

32. [PMC -- "Keeping the culture alive: the laboratory technician in mid-twentieth-century British medical research"](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2628576/), PubMed Central

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 -- Biological Technicians (19-4021.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-4021.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Biological Technicians](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biological-technicians.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Benchling 2026 Biotech AI Report](https://www.benchling.com/biotech-ai-report-2026), accessed 2026-06-05
- [IntuitionLabs -- Life Sciences Job Market 2025](https://intuitionlabs.ai/articles/life-sciences-job-market-2025), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 -- GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Benchling -- Lab Automation: Closing the Lab-in-a-Loop](https://www.benchling.com/blog/benchling-automation-closing-the-lab-in-a-loop), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Benchling -- Benchtalk 2025: New Capabilities](https://www.benchling.com/blog/heres-everything-we-released-at-benchtalk-2025), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Opentrons -- OT-2 Liquid Handling Robot](https://opentrons.com/robots/ot-2), accessed 2026-06-05
- [IntuitionLabs -- Modern Biotech Lab: Automation, AI & Data](https://intuitionlabs.ai/articles/modern-biotech-lab-automation-ai), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.