Salary guide, May 2025
QC Microbiology Manager pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the United States was $103,410 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $79,840 and $139,380.
Broader occupation · SOC 19-1042 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $64,800 | $79,840 | $103,410 | $139,380 | $177,780 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $31.15 | $38.39 | $49.72 | $67.01 | $85.47 |
BLS estimated 172,340 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 19-1042 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $95,770 | $78,800 to $145,810 | 1,470 | 0.47 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $86,890 | $68,550 to $129,120 | 1,490 | 0.93 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $82,120 | $74,270 to $105,840 | 670 | 0.43 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,500 | $84,290 to $150,820 | 1,110 | 1.35 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,360 | $81,420 to $141,170 | 10,090 | 0.96 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,360 | $81,420 to $141,170 | 10,090 | 0.96 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79,470 | $67,010 to $95,040 | 2,630 | 0.59 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $83,240 | $65,660 to $104,700 | 3,810 | 0.76 |
Rank every metro for QC Microbiology Manager
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$137,080
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$130,860
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$107,430
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 8,270 | $92,040 | $118,960 | $157,100 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 6,990 | $86,040 | $107,430 | $139,960 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 6,940 | $85,940 | $106,800 | $139,960 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 680 | $120,070 | $137,080 | $174,570 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 680 | $120,070 | $137,080 | $174,570 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 530 | $101,590 | $130,860 | $176,570 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 440 | $101,550 | $147,130 | $203,840 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For QC Microbiology Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $77,260 | $100,590 | $133,870 |
| May 2025 | $79,840 | $103,410 | $139,380 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about a move that can hold up?
Someone working in microbiology managers from food, pharmaceutical and sterile manufacturing laboratories needs a clear reason to leave. If the answer depends on authority over microbiology laboratory work and interpretation of contamination evidence that you cannot offer, that mismatch belongs in the conversation before an offer.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a QC Microbiology Manager?
The median annual wage for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the United States was $103,410 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $79,840 and $139,380. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $64,800. 90% earned less than $177,780.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a QC Microbiology Manager at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 172,340 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
VP of Quality / Chief Quality Officer pay Director of Quality pay Quality Manager pay QC Manager pay Quality Engineer pay QC Microbiology Manager pay ranked across all metros Open jobs QC Microbiology Manager recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
For QC Microbiology Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $103,410; the May 2024 median is $100,590. Their arithmetic difference is $2,820. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. This specialized management role is distinct from general chemical analytical testing.
Manufacturing Headhunters classifies this position under the Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists occupation, as the BLS does not provide a discrete wage row for manufacturing-specific microbiology managers. Users should compare the specific laboratory and microbiology duties to the broader SOC definition to evaluate the data's relevance.
For QC Microbiology Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $103,410; the May 2024 median is $100,590. Their arithmetic difference is $2,820. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width between the 25th and 75th percentiles is $59,540. For QC Microbiology Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Industry-specific medians are notable in Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing at $147,130, while Miscellaneous Manufacturing and Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing each report medians of $137,080.
Regional benchmarking highlights the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area with a median of $129,500 and a middle-band width of $70,500. Boston shows a location quotient of 5.36, indicating an exceptionally high concentration of this occupational group compared to the national baseline, while the New York metro registers 0.96. These figures represent the broader labor pool distribution across major biotech and manufacturing hubs.
The data is inherently limited by the Medical Scientists classification, which includes diverse scientific research roles outside of QC microbiology leadership. For QC Microbiology Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $103,410; the May 2024 median is $100,590. Their arithmetic difference is $2,820. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. We do not provide estimates or invented values. Use these figures as a starting point to understand the broader market conditions for scientists within these hubs, and adjust your compensation expectations based on the specific sterile-environment and microbiological-management requirements at your site.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For QC Microbiology Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $79,840 to $139,380 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Why is the location quotient so high in Boston?
The 5.36 location quotient indicates that Boston has a much higher concentration of Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, compared to the national average.
Does the $103,410 median reflect microbiology-specific pay?
No, the median reflects the broader Medical Scientists occupation category. It is an aggregate that includes many different scientific functions.
Why are industry medians higher than the national median?
For QC Microbiology Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $79,840 to $139,380 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4