Biological Technicians
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-4021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 19-4021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 6.0%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 50/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $57,510
- H-1B offered wage $56,680; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 9,800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 853
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 15,522 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~41.7% of this role but only ~6% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Biological Science Lab Tech), Biological Science Technician, Biological Technician, Laboratory Technician, Marine Fisheries Technician, Research Assistant
Representative Tasks
- •Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
- •Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
- •Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel.
- •Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings.
- •Provide technical support and services for scientists and engineers working in fields such as agriculture, environmental science, resource management, biology, and health sciences.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Collect biological specimens.
- •Operate computers or computerized equipment.
- •Monitor operational procedures in technical environments to ensure conformance to standards.
- •Research microbiological or chemical processes or structures.
- •Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 6.0% | 9.7% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 37% Bright |
| Median Salary | $57,510 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 94/100 | N/A |