Best Biological Technician programs in Mississippi, 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.
22 schools in Mississippi run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,289 people a year. The job pays a median of $56,930 in Mississippi across about 330 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Mississippi that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in Mississippi that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Mississippi (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 Mississippi page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0101In Mississippi → | 956 | 74.2% | 22 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 26.0202In Mississippi → | 156 | 12.1% | 5 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 3 | Biomedical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0102In Mississippi → | 91 | 7.1% | 4 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 4 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanographymain feeder CIP 26.1302In Mississippi → | 38 | 2.9% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 5 | CIP 26.0503In Mississippi → | 22 | 1.7% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 6 | Neurosciencemain feeder CIP 26.1501In Mississippi → | 13 | 1.0% | 2 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 7 | Biostatisticsmain feeder CIP 26.1102In Mississippi → | 8 | 0.6% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 8 | Bioinformaticsmain feeder CIP 26.1103In Mississippi → | 3 | 0.2% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 9 | Computational Biologymain feeder CIP 26.1104In Mississippi → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 10 | CIP 26.0508In Mississippi → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
Top 22 schools in Mississippi
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 9 of the 22 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS Public · 4 feeder programs | 261 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $20,056 | 67% | — | 78% |
| 2 | University of Mississippi University, MS Public · 6 feeder programs | 242 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $21,325 | 72% | — | 97% |
| 3 | University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS Public · 3 feeder programs | 164 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $24,195 | 49% | — | 99% |
| 4 | Mississippi Christian University Clinton, MS Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 101 | Biomedical Sciences, General | $17,342 | 59% | $21,096 | 29% |
| 5 | Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 90 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $27,607 | 57% | — | 45% |
| 6 | Copiah - Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 80 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 50% | — | — |
| 7 | Jackson State University Jackson, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 69 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $25,354 | 51% | — | 93% |
| 8 | William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 64 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $19,910 | 60% | $17,205 | 60% |
| 9 | Millsaps College Jackson, MS Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 50 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 57% | $25,249 | 43% |
| 10 | Delta State University Cleveland, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $20,823 | 48% | — | 100% |
| 11 | East Mississippi Community College Scooba, MS Public · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 48% | — | — |
| 12 | Itawamba Community College Fulton, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 50% | — | — |
| 13 | Holmes Community College Goodman, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 14 | Northwest Mississippi Community College Senatobia, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 15 | Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 33% | $19,069 | 60% |
| 16 | Mississippi Valley State University Itta Bena, MS Public · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 27% | — | 92% |
| 17 | Mississippi University for Women Columbus, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 47% | — | 90% |
| 18 | Belhaven University Jackson, MS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 49% | $22,476 | 50% |
| 19 | Rust College Holly Springs, MS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,947 | 12% | $8,711 | 49% |
| 20 | Blue Mountain Christian University Blue Mountain, MS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 55% | $18,117 | 89% |
| 21 | Mississippi Delta Community College Moorhead, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 31% | — | — |
| 22 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 48% | — | — |
All 22 schools in Mississippi
Every school in Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State University | Mississippi State | Public | 261 | 4 |
| University of Mississippi | University | Public | 242 | 6 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg | Public | 164 | 3 |
| Mississippi Christian University | Clinton | Private not-for-profit | 101 | 3 |
| Alcorn State University | Alcorn State | Public | 90 | 1 |
| Copiah - Lincoln Community College | Wesson | Public | 80 | 1 |
| Jackson State University | Jackson | Public | 69 | 1 |
| William Carey University | Hattiesburg | Private not-for-profit | 64 | 2 |
| Millsaps College | Jackson | Private not-for-profit | 50 | 3 |
| Delta State University | Cleveland | Public | 22 | 1 |
| East Mississippi Community College | Scooba | Public | 22 | 2 |
| Itawamba Community College | Fulton | Public | 19 | 1 |
| Holmes Community College | Goodman | Public | 18 | 1 |
| Northwest Mississippi Community College | Senatobia | Public | 18 | 1 |
| Tougaloo College | Tougaloo | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
What biological technicians earn in Mississippi
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $57,510. Mississippi pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Mississippi
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 Mississippi
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 Mississippi.
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 956 degrees in Mississippi in 2024-25, 74.2% 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 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Biochemistry, Ecology, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 1,289 people a year in Mississippi.
How much do biological technicians earn in Mississippi?+
The median is $56,930 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.0% 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 Mississippi?+
22 institutions in Mississippi reported graduates from at least one of the 10 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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