SOC 19-4021 · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro

Biological Technicians Salary in San Francisco, CA

The average salary for biological technicians in San Francisco, California is $99,540 a year ($47.86 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $95,220: half of the 2,690 people in this job in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 62% more than the U.S. average for this job ($61,380).

$99,540average per year

$47.86 / hourMedian $95,220Take-home ≈ $73,691

  • $55K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $95KMedian
  • $128K75th
  • $159K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

2,690people in this job
+62%vs U.S. average
#1 of 14California metros
116cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Biological Technicians pay range in San Francisco

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,090 a year or less, while the top 10% make $158,680 or more. The middle half of biological technicians in San Francisco earn between $68,140 and $128,440.

  • $55K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $95KMedian
  • $128K75th
  • $159K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$99,540$8,295$47.86
Median$95,220$7,935$45.78
Entry level (25th percentile)$68,140$5,678$32.76
Experienced (75th percentile)$128,440$10,703$61.75

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Biological Technicians pay in San Francisco vs. California and the U.S.

Biological technicians in San Francisco earn 27% more than the California average ($78,170) and 62% more than the U.S. average ($61,380). At the median the gap is +66% against the U.S. median of $57,510.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
San Francisco$99,540$95,220$55,090$158,6802,690
California$78,170$71,440$46,700$121,6709,210
United States$61,380$57,510$40,330$84,94069,620

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Biological Technicians salary after taxes in San Francisco

On the average salary of $99,540, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $73,691 a year, or $6,141 a month and $2,834 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is San Francisco a good place for biological technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $99,540 buys what about $86,098 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 11.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $99,540 is worth in another city

Biological Technicians salary in other California cities

San Francisco ranks 1st of 14 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Biological Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for biological technicians

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($99,540).

Biological Technicians salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Biological Technicians in San Francisco, CA.

Biological Technicians salary in San Francisco: questions

How much do biological technicians make an hour in San Francisco?

$47.86 an hour on average, and $45.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level biological technicians salary in San Francisco?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,090 a year and the 25th percentile is $68,140, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the biological technicians take-home pay in San Francisco?

About $73,691 a year ($6,141 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $99,540. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do biological technicians earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?

The average here is 62% more than the U.S. average for this job ($61,380).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-4021; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.53, this job is 2.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.