Biological Technicians
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Key knowledge
- Biology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
- Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
- Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
- Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
- Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
- Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.
- Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas.
- Conduct standardized biological, microbiological or biochemical tests and laboratory analyses to evaluate the quantity or quality of physical or chemical substances in food or other products.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Realistic, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (62.8% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (34.4%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (38.3%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Biological Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very high | Higher on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared | 94% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 89% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 95% of occupations compared | 86% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 65% of occupations compared | 81% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Lower on time pressure than 58% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 72% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 90% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 65% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 4.53%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0%
- Contact with others most of the time: 1.54%
- Constant contact with others: 93.93%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 38.14%
- Fairly important: 34.76%
- Important: 2.16%
- Very important: 20.97%
- Extremely important: 3.97%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 1.61%
- Very important: 12.55%
- Extremely important: 85.83%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 10.76%
- Some freedom: 80.8%
- A lot of freedom: 8.44%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 6.24%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 34.85%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 35.6%
- Every day: 23.31%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 31.25%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 20.97%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 47.78%
- Every day: 0%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 41.36%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 12.74%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 10.56%
- Every day: 1.99%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 18.81%
- Fairly serious: 11.9%
- Serious: 22.1%
- Very serious: 14.13%
- Extremely serious: 33.05%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Cytogenetic Technologists
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Cytotechnologists
Closeness 92/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Closeness 91/100
- Analyze
Endoscopy Technicians
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -2
- Analyze
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -2
- Analyze
Photonics Technicians
Closeness 90/100 · job zone -1
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 19-4021.00 · SOC 19-4021 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8