PublicPay

Biological Science Technician federal salary series 0404

Full-time federal employees in the Biological Science Technician series earned a median of $55,506 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 49% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $46,060 and $67,057.

Median pay
$55,506
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$46,060–$67,057
25th–75th percentile
Employees
5,307
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+0.3%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Biological Science Technician
All federal (full-time)

What shapes biological science technician pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-7 (1,210 employees, median $56,715). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (3,093 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Maryland ($75,332) and lowest in Utah ($45,409), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Biological Science Technician pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Biological Science Technician pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-1 137 $35,048 $35,048–$35,048
GS-3 90 $36,464 $36,464–$36,464
GS-4 157 $37,193 $37,193–$40,596
GS-5 958 $41,178 $40,736–$45,538
GS-6 1,039 $50,630 $46,922–$56,004
GS-7 1,210 $56,715 $52,565–$62,235
GS-8 299 $63,748 $60,091–$70,781
GS-9 999 $78,186 $69,954–$80,895
AD (ungraded) 95 $57,626 $51,837–$61,516

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Biological Science Technician pay by agency

Biological Science Technician pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Agriculture 3,093 $59,031 $50,241–$71,356
Department of the Interior 1,737 $48,883 $41,021–$55,969
Department of Veterans Affairs 173 $64,277 $53,664–$73,692
Department of Health and Human Services 56 $80,243 $67,422–$91,815
Department of Commerce 43 $88,356 $78,311–$100,070

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Biological Science Technician pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Biological Science Technician pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 452 $56,767 $50,460–$68,819
Oregon 256 $53,824 $46,922–$61,722
Washington 246 $56,715 $49,950–$66,168
Michigan 198 $49,426 $40,736–$61,554
Wisconsin 190 $55,882 $50,241–$65,838
Colorado 190 $50,630 $45,420–$60,013
Iowa 185 $57,984 $47,870–$71,356
Florida 173 $60,553 $51,463–$74,502
Maryland 145 $75,332 $60,616–$91,815
Alaska 143 $51,344 $46,060–$57,055

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare biological science technician pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +0.3% from $55,328 in September 2025 to $55,506 in September 2026. Headcount went from 5,616 to 5,307 (−5.5%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

Related occupations in Biological Sciences Group