Microbiologists Salary
The median pay for a microbiologists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX is $61,310/year ($29.48/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.07), that's roughly $62,517 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,852/month, about 43.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos’s Regional Price Parity (98.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About microbiologists
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What this looks like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Pay for microbiologists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $88K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,852/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.07) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for microbiologistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for microbiologists in metros near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $66K | $67K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $78K | $76K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $81K | $85K |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $52K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Entry-level microbiologists (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Microbiologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Microbiologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $122K | +39% | 1,960 |
| California | $109K | +23% | 2,600 |
| Maryland | $108K | +23% | 1,590 |
| Georgia | $103K | +17% | 880 |
| New Jersey | $96K | +9% | 790 |
| Illinois | $92K | +5% | 1,470 |
| Oregon | $89K | +1% | 170 |
| Montana | $88K | -0% | 80 |
| Connecticut | $86K | -2% | 180 |
| North Carolina | $86K | -2% | 1,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $85K | -4% | 670 |
| Minnesota | $83K | -5% | 290 |
| Delaware | $83K | -6% | 190 |
| Colorado | $82K | -7% | 370 |
| New York | $81K | -8% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $81K | -8% | 270 |
| Iowa | $80K | -9% | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | -10% | 170 |
| Michigan | $79K | -11% | 370 |
| Missouri | $79K | -11% | 140 |
| Indiana | $78K | -11% | 150 |
| Virginia | $78K | -12% | 280 |
| Washington | $78K | -12% | 340 |
| Tennessee | $78K | -12% | 210 |
| Alaska | $76K | -13% | 30 |
| Utah | $73K | -17% | 120 |
| Ohio | $73K | -18% | 530 |
| Nebraska | $72K | -18% | 90 |
| Hawaii | $71K | -19% | 60 |
| South Dakota | $71K | -20% | 80 |
| Kansas | $71K | -20% | 120 |
| Arizona | $70K | -21% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $69K | -22% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | -24% | 420 |
| Kentucky | $67K | -24% | 80 |
| Texas | $66K | -24% | 920 |
| Idaho | $66K | -25% | 70 |
| Alabama | $66K | -25% | 110 |
| South Carolina | $65K | -26% | 100 |
| Nevada | $64K | -27% | 110 |
| Mississippi | $62K | -30% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $60K | -32% | 140 |
Showing 1–10 of 42 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track microbiologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a microbiologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,852/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for microbiologists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new microbiologists typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,956/month. At HUD’s $1,852/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is microbiologist a high-paying job in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $61K here vs. $88K nationally.
How does Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compare to the national average for microbiologists?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $88K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do microbiologists make in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?
The median is $61,310 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,260, and experienced microbiologists can clear $94,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,275/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,852/month, which eats 43.3% 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 microbiologists salary go in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a Regional Price Parity of 98.07 (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 microbiologists salary is worth about $62,517 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do microbiologists 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.