Microbiologists Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 28.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new microbiologists typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,593/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay is 14% above the national median — $101K here vs. $88K nationally.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $88K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — still ahead of the national median.

The median is $100,620 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,880, and experienced microbiologists can clear $134,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,183/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 28.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median microbiologists salary is worth about $97,133 in national-average purchasing power.

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.