The average salary for a molecular biologist in the United States is around $98,920 per year.
Avg Salary
Molecular biologists earn an average yearly salary of $98,920.
Wages typically start from $60,430 and go up to $168,010.
52% above national average Updated in 2025
Molecular biologist earnings by seniority
Top-level molecular biologist earnings begin at:
$80.77 per hour
$168,010 per year
Senior-level molecular biologist earnings begin at:
$61.38 per hour
$127,670 per year
Mid-level molecular biologist earnings begin at:
$47.56 per hour
$98,920 per year
Junior-level molecular biologist earnings begin at:
$36.92 per hour
$76,800 per year
Starting level molecular biologist earnings begin at:
$29.05 per hour
$60,430 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Molecular biologist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Georgia | $96,820 |
| Virginia | $96,030 |
| Hawaii | $95,600 |
| Ohio | $95,560 |
| Colorado | $93,970 |
| Utah | $93,250 |
| Montana | $91,560 |
| South Carolina | $91,560 |
| Wyoming | $91,560 |
| Mississippi | $91,170 |
| Arizona | $90,290 |
| Alabama | $87,260 |
| Oregon | $86,260 |
| District of Columbia | $84,590 |
| West Virginia | $84,590 |
| Indiana | $84,570 |
| New Mexico | $84,120 |
| Florida | $83,780 |
| New Hampshire | $83,740 |
| Idaho | $83,320 |
| Nebraska | $82,770 |
| Iowa | $82,720 |
| Illinois | $82,640 |
| Michigan | $81,540 |
| Texas | $80,870 |
| Tennessee | $80,500 |
| Oklahoma | $79,950 |
| Kentucky | $79,400 |
| Wisconsin | $78,480 |
| Vermont | $77,960 |
| Arkansas | $76,400 |
| Kansas | $76,400 |
| Minnesota | $76,400 |
| Nevada | $74,210 |
| South Dakota | $73,920 |
| Louisiana | $69,590 |
| North Dakota | $67,560 |
| Missouri | $63,290 |
| Maryland | $121,680 |
| California | $113,530 |
| Delaware | $113,400 |
| Connecticut | $111,940 |
| Washington | $108,110 |
| Massachusetts | $107,100 |
| Alaska | $106,870 |
| New Jersey | $104,750 |
| Maine | $104,570 |
| New York | $104,120 |
| Rhode Island | $101,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $100,780 |
| North Carolina | $100,070 |
How do molecular biologist salaries compare to similar careers?
Molecular biologists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than nanotechnology engineers but more than geographers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $123K |
| Geologist salary | $102K |
| Statistician salary | $106K |
| Biostatistician salary | $106K |
| Scientist salary | $101K |
| Molecular biologist salary | $99K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $99K |
| Atmospheric scientist salary | $99K |
| Hydrologist salary | $97K |
| Geographer salary | $102K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)