Jobs / Science and research / 19-4021.00
Biological Technicians
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.
- US jobs
- 69,620
- Median wage
- $57,510 a year
- Job family
- Science and research
Can agents do the work of biological technicians?
We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Science and research:
- Task levelPartialThin evidence. CORE-Bench asks agents to reproduce the results of published papers in computer science, social science, and medicine from the authors' code and data. Princeton's HAL team declared it solved in December 2025: Claude Code with Claude Opus 4.5 scored 95.5% after manual regrading. No benchmark in our collection tests new experiments or lab work.
- Project levelNot yetThin evidence. On PaperBench, where agents replicate machine learning papers from scratch, the best official result is 26.0% (o1, April 2025). On a small subset, ML PhDs scored 41.4% against o1's 26.6%. No newer official results exist, and no benchmark tests research projects in other sciences.
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in science and research, not always this occupation's tasks.
- 95.5%Claude Code + Claude Opus 4.5 (after manual regrading) · 3 Dec 2025Solved
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
- Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel.
- Examine animals and specimens to detect the presence of disease or other problems.
- Input data into databases.
- Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
- Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
- Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
- Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
- Measure or weigh compounds and solutions for use in testing or animal feed.
- Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas.
- Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.
- Conduct standardized biological, microbiological or biochemical tests and laboratory analyses to evaluate the quantity or quality of physical or chemical substances in food or other products.
Other job titles for this occupation (43)
Biological Science Lab Tech (Biological Science Laboratory Technician) · Biological Science Technician (Biological Science Tech) · Biologist Aide · Biologist Technician (Biologist Tech) · Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech) · Fisheries Biological Technician (Fisheries Biological Tech) · Marine Fisheries Technician (Marine Fisheries Tech) · Microbiology Technician (Microbiology Tech) · Research Assistant · Research Associate · Aquatic Technician (Aquatic Tech) · Aquatics Technician (Aquatics Tech) · Artificial Breeding Lab Tech (Artificial Breeding Laboratory Technician) · Artificial Breeding Technician (Artificial Breeding Tech) · Artificial Inseminator · Babcock Tester · Bacteriology Research Assistant · Bacteriology Technician (Bacteriology Tech) · Biochemistry Technician (Biochemistry Tech) · Biological Aide · Biological Field Technician (Biological Field Tech) · Biological Research Technician (Biological Research Tech) · Biological Science Aide · Biology Laboratory Assistant (Biology Lab Assistant) · Biology Research Assistant · Biology Specimen Technician (Biology Specimen Tech) · Bioprocess Associate · Biotechnician · Biotechnologist · Botany Laboratory Assistant · Culture Media Laboratory Assistant · Downstream Biomanufacturing Technician (Downstream Biomanufacturing Tech) · Downstream Technician (Downstream Tech) · Extraction Technician (Extraction Tech) · Fiber Technologist · Fowl Blood Tester · Herbarium Worker · Medical Research Assistant · Microbiology Lab Tech (Microbiology Laboratory Technician) · Microbiology QC Tech (Microbiology Quality Control Technician) · Microbiology Technologist · Specimen Technician (Specimen Tech) · Upstream Biomanufacturing Technician