Best Biological Technician programs in Florida, ranked by enrollment
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.
48 schools in Florida run programs that feed this job, graduating 8,708 people a year. The job pays a median of $48,700 in Florida across about 3,170 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Florida that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
16 programs in Florida that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Florida (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Florida page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0101In Florida → | 4,543 | 52.2% | 37 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | Biomedical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0102In Florida → | 1,732 | 19.9% | 15 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 3 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanographymain feeder CIP 26.1302In Florida → | 589 | 6.8% | 13 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 4 | CIP 26.0503In Florida → | 578 | 6.6% | 4 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 5 | Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 41.0101In Florida → | 340 | 3.9% | 10 | $38,858 | $12,609 |
| 6 | Neurosciencemain feeder CIP 26.1501In Florida → | 309 | 3.5% | 4 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 7 | CIP 26.0202In Florida → | 271 | 3.1% | 11 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 8 | Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biologymain feeder CIP 26.0406In Florida → | 94 | 1.1% | 6 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 9 | CIP 26.0708In Florida → | 63 | 0.7% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 10 | CIP 26.0508In Florida → | 54 | 0.6% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 11 | CIP 26.0701In Florida → | 49 | 0.6% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 12 | Biostatisticsmain feeder CIP 26.1102In Florida → | 39 | 0.4% | 3 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 13 | Bioinformaticsmain feeder CIP 26.1103In Florida → | 23 | 0.3% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 14 | CIP 26.0801In Florida → | 9 | 0.1% | 1 | $31,800 | $21,424 |
| 15 | Aquatic Biology/Limnologymain feeder CIP 26.1304In Florida → | 8 | 0.1% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 16 | Computational Biologymain feeder CIP 26.1104In Florida → | 7 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
Top 25 schools in Florida
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 24 of the 48 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,312 | Biomedical Sciences, General | $27,034 | 77% | — | 43% |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,137 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $24,713 | 91% | — | 24% |
| 3 | Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,057 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $21,529 | 74% | — | 55% |
| 4 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 936 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $23,710 | 78% | — | 40% |
| 5 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 806 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,140 | 86% | — | 24% |
| 6 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 481 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $23,110 | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 7 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 476 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | $23,504 | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
| 8 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 405 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $27,676 | 63% | — | 66% |
| 9 | Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 235 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | $21,980 | 66% | $31,022 | 76% |
| 10 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 174 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,964 | 69% | — | 53% |
| 11 | The University of Tampa Tampa, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 166 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,909 | 64% | $33,070 | 40% |
| 12 | University of West Florida Pensacola, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 158 | Biomedical Sciences, General | $28,237 | 59% | — | 58% |
| 13 | Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 154 | Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician | — | 41% | — | — |
| 14 | Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 148 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,635 | 57% | — | 63% |
| 15 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 113 | Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician | — | 38% | — | — |
| 16 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 87 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,012 | 53% | — | 21% |
| 17 | University of Florida - Online Gainesville, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 83 | Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology | $27,994 | 85% | — | 61% |
| 18 | Florida Southern College Lakeland, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,222 | 71% | $28,325 | 64% |
| 19 | Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 55 | Biomedical Sciences, General | — | 64% | $33,585 | 58% |
| 20 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 54 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,568 | 46% | — | — |
| 21 | Jacksonville University Jacksonville, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 50 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | — | 51% | $25,813 | 57% |
| 22 | Barry University Miami, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 43 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,556 | 38% | $24,719 | 77% |
| 23 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 43 | Biomedical Sciences, General | $25,912 | 37% | — | — |
| 24 | Stetson University DeLand, FL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 40 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,006 | 62% | $21,948 | 72% |
| 25 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician | — | 48% | — | — |
All 48 schools in Florida
Every school in Florida with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Florida | Tampa | Public | 1,312 | 6 |
| University of Florida | Gainesville | Public | 1,137 | 6 |
| Florida International University | Miami | Public | 1,057 | 4 |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando | Public | 936 | 4 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | Public | 806 | 6 |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale | Private not-for-profit | 481 | 4 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables | Private not-for-profit | 476 | 7 |
| Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton | Public | 405 | 3 |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg | Private not-for-profit | 235 | 4 |
| University of North Florida | Jacksonville | Public | 174 | 3 |
| The University of Tampa | Tampa | Private not-for-profit | 166 | 3 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola | Public | 158 | 3 |
| Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford | Public | 154 | 1 |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers | Public | 148 | 2 |
| St Petersburg College | St. Petersburg | Public | 113 | 2 |
What biological technicians earn in Florida
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $57,510. Florida pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Florida
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Biological Technicians page.
How to become a Biological Technician
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Florida
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Biological Technicians19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0102Biomedical Sciences, General
- 26.0202Biochemistry
- 26.0204Molecular Biology
- 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 26.0502Microbiology, General
- 26.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- 26.0508Microbiology and Immunology
- 26.0701Zoology/Animal Biology
- 26.0708Animal Behavior and Ethology
- 26.0709Wildlife Biology
- 26.0801Genetics, General
- 26.1102Biostatistics
- 26.1103Bioinformatics
- 26.1104Computational Biology
- 26.1302Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
- 26.1304Aquatic Biology/Limnology
- 26.1501Neuroscience
- 41.0101Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician
Common questions
Answers for people weighing biological technicians programs in Florida.
What degree do you need to become a Biological Technician?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 4,543 degrees in Florida in 2024-25, 52.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Biological Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 16 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Ecology, Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians, plus 6 more. Together they graduate about 8,708 people a year in Florida.
How much do biological technicians earn in Florida?+
The median is $48,700 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 15.3% below the U.S. median of $57,510. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for biological technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +3.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 9,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Florida?+
48 institutions in Florida reported graduates from at least one of the 16 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do biological technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Associate, Research Technician, Biological Technician, Laboratory Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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