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Also called clinical microbiologist, medical microbiologist, pharmaceutical microbiologist and public health microbiologist.
$87,990
Median pay a year
18,940
People do this work
6
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Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
A Microbiologist resume, filled in
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Microbiologist
Summary
Microbiologist investigating the growth and characteristics of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, while providing laboratory services and conducting tests for health and environmental assessments
Experience
Microbiologist
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Isolated and maintained cultures of bacteria and other microorganisms in prescribed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition
Provided laboratory services for health departments and community environmental health programs needing information for diagnosis and treatment
Monitored and performed tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms and sources of pollution or contamination
Examined physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics using a microscope to identify and classify microorganisms in various specimens
Supervised biological technologists, technicians, and other scientists in laboratory settings
Used specialized equipment, including electron microscopes and chromatographs, for various microbiological analyses
Prepared technical reports and recommendations based on research outcomes and findings
Skills
Researching microbiological processes, Analyzing biological samples, Developing new products, Monitoring production impacts, Researching diseases or parasites, Classifying organisms, Examining living behavior, Inspecting natural environments, Analyzing chemical compounds, Cultivating medical preparations
Education
Bachelor's Degree Your college, Year
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Isolated and maintained cultures of microorganismsProvided laboratory services for health departmentsMonitored and tested water and food samplesExamined characteristics of microorganisms using microscopesSupervised biological technologists and techniciansInvestigated relationships between organisms and disease
becomes
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Isolated and maintained cultures of microorganisms to support research and testing efforts
Monitored and tested water and food samples to ensure safety and compliance with health standards
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The line
Isolated and maintained cultures of microorganisms, increasing the accuracy of test results
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Increased accuracy of test resultsReduced contamination rates in samplesEnhanced reliability of research findings
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Mention what got better for health departments from your testing.
The line
Monitored and tested water and food samples to ensure safety and compliance with health standards
Mention what got better for health departments from your testing.
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Improved public health safetyHelped identify contamination sourcesSupported faster response to health issues
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What it is made of
Skills for a Microbiologist resume
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What are you good at?
Researching microbiological processes
Analyzing biological samples
Developing new products
Monitoring production impacts
Researching diseases or parasites
Classifying organisms
Examining living behavior
Inspecting natural environments
Analyzing chemical compounds
Cultivating medical preparations
Preparing biological samples
Operating laboratory or field equipment
The work itself
What a Microbiologist does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
Investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Includes medical microbiologists who study the relationship between organisms and disease or the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.
What it pays
How much does a Microbiologist make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$67,100
Median
$87,990
75th percentile
$122,350
About 18,940 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
AK
$64,400
$76,320
$87,330
AL
$49,000
$65,690
$76,160
AR
$49,300
$59,750
$106,330
AZ
$57,680
$69,880
$85,690
CA
$80,060
$108,530
$141,360
CO
$66,750
$81,640
$118,560
CT
$67,960
$86,360
$108,490
DE
$64,030
$82,770
$107,810
FL
$59,510
$80,930
$106,900
GA
$87,990
$103,070
$126,300
HI
$60,650
$70,970
$79,860
IA
$68,680
$79,830
$104,290
ID
$57,560
$65,940
$76,650
IL
$66,770
$92,050
$112,210
IN
$60,710
$77,900
$92,420
KS
$61,510
$70,500
$92,350
KY
$63,400
$66,500
$85,740
MA
$97,930
$122,350
$142,220
MD
$77,810
$108,470
$140,670
MI
$64,370
$78,680
$92,600
MN
$70,840
$83,400
$110,580
MO
$56,910
$78,590
$125,430
MS
$46,130
$61,690
$67,840
MT
$62,940
$87,750
$133,470
NC
$66,630
$85,860
$111,200
NE
$63,830
$72,470
$98,890
NH
$69,420
$79,430
$94,380
NJ
$80,010
$96,020
$112,860
NV
$58,780
$64,490
$110,200
NY
$77,380
$81,090
$106,490
OH
$51,220
$72,500
$97,010
OR
$77,320
$89,220
$102,970
PA
$59,280
$84,650
$105,110
PR
$52,850
$63,680
$75,760
SC
$62,310
$64,740
$77,780
SD
$52,040
$70,530
$81,420
TN
$64,940
$77,630
$99,350
TX
$54,970
$66,450
$82,650
UT
$56,730
$72,600
$96,990
VA
$55,130
$77,820
$129,250
WA
$63,770
$77,690
$96,650
WI
$53,390
$67,100
$84,080
WV
$51,930
$68,550
$76,490
Other names
Other names for this job
clinical microbiologist, medical microbiologist, pharmaceutical microbiologist, public health microbiologist, qa microbiologist, qc microbiologist, quality assurance microbiologist, quality control microbiologist, research microbiologist, bacteriologist, clinical lab scientist, clinical laboratory scientist.
More names for this work
cytologist, electron microscopist, medical lab scientist, medical laboratory scientist, medical technologist, microbiological analyst, microbiology analyst, microbiology scientist, microbiology specialist, microscopist, qc microbiology analyst, quality control microbiology analyst, research associate, research specialist, scientist, virologist.
If you served
Military jobs this work counts as
From the crosswalk the US Department of Labor publishes itself. If one of these was your job, this page is about the civilian work it maps to.
71A Microbiology
0841 Microbiologist
43T1B Biomedical Laboratory, Microbiology
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This page is about the occupation Microbiologists. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.