Biological Technicians Salary
In Louisiana, biological technicians earn $47,310 at the median, or about $22.74 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $54,205 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 36.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in Louisiana, month by month
About biological technicians
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for biological technicians in Louisiana runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 37% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for biological technicians.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level biological technicians (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Biological Technicians salary by metro in Louisiana
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $50K | +6% | 40 |
| Baton Rouge | $45K | -5% | 40 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $36K | -24% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track biological technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a biological technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 37% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for biological technicians in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new biological technicians typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,261/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is biological technician a high-paying job in Louisiana?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $47K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for biological technicians?
Louisiana pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do biological technicians make in Louisiana?
The median is $47,310 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,390, and experienced biological technicians can clear $77,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,217/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 37% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a biological technicians salary go in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median biological technicians salary is worth about $54,205 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do biological technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.