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Biological Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 19-4021.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
4 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Biological Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Bio-Manufacturing Technician (Downstream) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Bio-Manufacturing Technician (Downstream) | 1103 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| Bio-Manufacturing Technician (Upstream) | 1102 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| DAIRY TECHNOLOGIST | 0630 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| MICROBIOLOGY QUALITY CONTROL TECH | 1135 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 3,000 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What biological technicians earn, by state
California has the highest state median for biological technicians ($71,440) and South Dakota the lowest ($41,300), across the 53 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $71,440 | $34.34 | 9,210 |
| New Jersey | $66,040 | $31.75 | 1,290 |
| District of Columbia | $64,770 | $31.14 | 210 |
| Connecticut | $62,360 | $29.98 | 650 |
| Massachusetts | $62,070 | $29.84 | 8,430 |
| North Carolina | $61,720 | $29.67 | 2,460 |
| New York | $61,210 | $29.43 | 5,050 |
| Washington | $60,800 | $29.23 | 3,210 |
| Maine | $60,160 | $28.92 | 510 |
| Colorado | $59,400 | $28.56 | 1,990 |
| Indiana | $58,790 | $28.26 | 1,020 |
| Delaware | $58,550 | $28.15 | 180 |
| Mississippi | $56,930 | $27.37 | 330 |
| Alaska | $56,470 | $27.15 | 410 |
| Illinois | $55,790 | $26.82 | 790 |
| New Hampshire | $55,540 | $26.70 | 240 |
| North Dakota | $55,330 | $26.60 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,950 | $26.42 | 2,820 |
| Virginia | $53,360 | $25.65 | 1,820 |
| Arizona | $53,290 | $25.62 | 830 |
| South Carolina | $53,040 | $25.50 | 550 |
| Utah | $52,960 | $25.46 | 710 |
| Maryland | $52,900 | $25.44 | 3,470 |
| Georgia | $52,420 | $25.20 | 860 |
| Oregon | $52,190 | $25.09 | 1,590 |
| Wisconsin | $51,750 | $24.88 | 1,800 |
| Nevada | $51,680 | $24.85 | 280 |
| Kansas | $51,630 | $24.82 | 480 |
| West Virginia | $51,440 | $24.73 | 100 |
| Vermont | $51,190 | $24.61 | 220 |
| Ohio | $51,080 | $24.56 | 2,240 |
| Michigan | $51,070 | $24.55 | 1,160 |
| Tennessee | $50,840 | $24.44 | 1,240 |
| Missouri | $50,640 | $24.35 | 620 |
| Texas | $50,130 | $24.10 | 2,730 |
| Montana | $49,920 | $24.00 | 430 |
| New Mexico | $49,570 | $23.83 | 140 |
| Alabama | $49,220 | $23.66 | 270 |
| Kentucky | $48,910 | $23.52 | 260 |
| Hawaii | $48,770 | $23.45 | 830 |
| Florida | $48,700 | $23.41 | 3,170 |
| Nebraska | $48,220 | $23.18 | 600 |
| Minnesota | $48,130 | $23.14 | 1,400 |
| Iowa | $48,050 | $23.10 | 800 |
| Oklahoma | $47,850 | $23.01 | 360 |
| Louisiana | $47,310 | $22.74 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $46,930 | $22.56 | 420 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,630 | $22.42 | 670 |
| Wyoming | $46,480 | $22.35 | 190 |
| Rhode Island | $45,530 | $21.89 | 140 |
| Guam | $44,950 | $21.61 | 90 |
| Idaho | $42,130 | $20.25 | 450 |
| South Dakota | $41,300 | $19.86 | 230 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).