What Does an Electron Microscopy Technician Do?
Electron microscopy technicians preserve tissue and other samples chemically, set them in resin and slice them thinner than a wavelength of light, so researchers can see detail a light microscope cannot show. The microscopes are theirs to run as well, in university core labs, hospitals and industry. A bad cut can waste hours of preparation.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Lab Analyst, Lab Technician (Lab Tech), Laboratory Analyst, Microbiology Lab Analyst, QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor), QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician), QA Tech (Quality Assurance Technician), Quality Control Analyst (QC Analyst).
Electron Microscopy Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an electron microscopy technician include:
- Fix, dehydrate and embed biological samples in resin following established protocols.
- Cut ultrathin sections on an ultramicrotome and collect them on grids for imaging.
- Stain sections with heavy metal stains, handling toxic chemicals under a fume hood.
- Operate transmission and scanning electron microscopes to capture images for researchers.
- Coat samples with gold or carbon in a sputter coater before SEM imaging.
- Align microscopes, change filaments and log performance checks between service visits.
- Train students and researchers to use the microscopes safely and book instrument time.
- Keep sample logs, image files and billing records for each research group.
- Prepare cryo samples by plunge freezing and handle liquid nitrogen safely.
- Troubleshoot poor images by checking preparation steps, vacuum levels and alignment.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an electron microscopy technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Ultramicrotomy and grid handling
- TEM and SEM operation
- Resin embedding and staining protocols
- Safe handling of hazardous chemicals
- Image software such as ImageJ
- Steady hands and patience
- Careful record keeping
- Associate's degree in science or laboratory technology
Education and Training
Most technicians learn through an associate's degree in a science or laboratory technology program, but some start out with a biology or materials science bachelor's degree and train on the instruments on the job. Hands-on microscope time counts most. Senior technicians take on training, instrument upkeep and harder techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other), the middle half of earners made $48,030 to $79,780 a year, and the median was $62,280.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other.
BLS projects employment of science technicians in its catch-all group, where this job is counted, to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 11,200 openings a year. Microscopy posts are specialized and fairly few, so technicians often move between universities, hospitals and materials labs to find them. Median pay for the group was about $62,300 in May 2025.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other.
Electron Microscopy Technician Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $39,000 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $48,030 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $62,280 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $79,780 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $102,690 |
Highest-Paying States for Electron Microscopy Technicians
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Oklahoma ($86,260), District of Columbia ($79,230), California ($78,350), Washington ($73,530), Alaska ($70,700). Pay is lowest in Indiana ($48,650), Nebraska ($48,640), Wisconsin ($47,210).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,500 |
| Alaska | $70,700 |
| Arizona | $58,240 |
| Arkansas | $59,310 |
| California | $78,350 |
| Colorado | $63,760 |
| Connecticut | $66,710 |
| District of Columbia | $79,230 |
| Florida | $63,180 |
| Georgia | $69,320 |
| Hawaii | $50,880 |
| Idaho | $50,600 |
| Illinois | $59,410 |
| Indiana | $48,650 |
| Iowa | $50,480 |
| Kansas | $65,270 |
| Kentucky | $68,230 |
| Louisiana | $53,360 |
| Maine | $66,730 |
| Maryland | $68,390 |
| Massachusetts | $63,820 |
| Michigan | $59,100 |
| Minnesota | $49,410 |
| Mississippi | $59,490 |
| Missouri | $50,410 |
| Montana | $52,260 |
| Nebraska | $48,640 |
| Nevada | $54,070 |
| New Hampshire | $64,250 |
| New Jersey | $55,980 |
| New Mexico | $56,420 |
| New York | $63,810 |
| North Carolina | $49,200 |
| North Dakota | $69,350 |
| Ohio | $49,210 |
| Oklahoma | $86,260 |
| Oregon | $60,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,680 |
| Rhode Island | $69,630 |
| South Carolina | $58,960 |
| South Dakota | $51,630 |
| Tennessee | $62,050 |
| Texas | $48,960 |
| Utah | $59,290 |
| Vermont | $63,460 |
| Virginia | $67,240 |
| Washington | $73,530 |
| West Virginia | $59,750 |
| Wisconsin | $47,210 |
| Wyoming | $64,510 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as life, physical, and social science technicians, all other about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 92% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 81% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 77% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 74% use email every day
- 64% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 59% deal with loud or distracting noise every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 38% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28% |
| Associate's degree | 10% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 10% |
Tools and Software Electron Microscopy Technicians Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as analyzing problems and working with ideas.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Writing.
Knowledge areas used most: Mathematics, Production and Processing, Chemistry, English Language, Administrative.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 19-4099.00 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other). View on O*NET OnLine.
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