Average Salary for Brewery Lab Tech / Microbiologist?

People do it, huh? That's a pretty vague argument to make. Since I seem to have struck a nerve with my wording, would you care to share your assumed experience in the industry?

"Owed to them"? What a weird way of putting it. In the age of five-figure student loan debt, yes, people with degrees need to make more than minimum wage. It's not an opinion, it's common sense. Also, it's kinda hard to have a "pick yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality when, to my knowledge, most breweries don't offer overtime or allow moonlighting.

 

He may have come off a little abrasive, but he has a good point. People take pay cuts to work in beer. No matter what you do in a brewery, you could apply those same skills to another industry and make a lot more money. Dragging hoses in the cellar all day? That’s construction-level physical work. Except construction guys make twice what cellerman make. Engineer/maintainance? Work for a manufacturing plant and make 3 times your brewery pay. Even packaging. That 10-15 bucks an hour in a brewery can line is a $25-$35/hour union job at PepsiCo. Even sales and marketing folks take pay cuts when they move from distro to a brewery. It’s just how it is.

It’s called selling weed.
Seriously though, people find all sorts of ways to make extra dough. Bartending, part-time at another brewery, professional music, etc. I know a guy who works on motorcycles.

I get it man, I’ve got student loans too. This is not the business to get into if you want to knock them out quick. Like I said earlier, might be better off applying your skills to another industry for a couple years, pay off this bills, and when you are in a more comfortable financial position, you’ll have the option of taking that pay cut, if it’s still something you want to do.

 

It may be common sense but I see people eschewing that mentality daily. Your opinion (yes, that's what it is) seems very black or white. Those with degrees should/'have to' be paid more. All I'm saying is that's the wrong way to think if you want into the beer industry. It ain't going to happen any time soon. In the interview they will smile at your insistence that you have a degree and deserve more, then offer you their basic onboarding package. You'll take it or leave it because there are 14 other well-qualified people behind you waiting on an interview.

My 'assumed' experience:
In the industry?--used to be and absolutely loved it
Degree--Master's
Debt--5-figure
Compensated differently because of it?--absolutely not

 

I know a guy that did hiring for a brewpub around here. His final question he’d ask every Brewer interviewing: “Are you ok with never making more money than the servers?”
But you know what they say about, “If you love what you do...”

 

I've always had the opposite take. I love beer, baseball, and video games, but know if I chose to work in any of those respective fields I'd be exposed to deadlines and drudgery and love them that much less. I keep my hobbies for pure relaxation and escapism and choose to make more money in a subjectively more boring sector... props to everyone that takes a cut for something that they're passionate about as it's not for everyone.

 

I made about that much as a lab technician with a Biology-related degree at a biopharmaceutical company 14 years ago. Average salary for a lab tech these days is probably about 50-60K.

OP, if you're looking to make money as a lab technician, it sounds like you shouldn't work in brewing.

If you truly love brewing, then work at a brewery and moonlight at a Starbucks, or a strip club, or as a bartender...

 

Just wondering how many breweries in the USA need a full time lab-tech/ microbiologist or can afford one?

 

He lives in Mass., that won't make you much by July 1st when it goes on sale here.

Unless you open your own shop...you could do that AND be a brewery tech...

 

I get that. I’ve loved and played music my whole life, but I’ve never wanted to take it pro and have moved apart from bands that were heading in that direction.

Brewing was different. I made the decision to go pro and couldn’t be happier. My dad and brother are in the trades; one sister is a bartender and event planner; other one is getting into medical. I will never make as much as them and I couldn’t care less!

I work at a pub brewery. Production has its separate share of challenges. But I get to brew what I want, when I want. I get to experiment. I get to work with brewers that I idolized as a homebrewer. Legends in Chicago brewing. I’ve had them ask me for tips. An awesome and humbling experience. I get to talk shop with people who are responsible for craft beer even existing in this country. I get to make something with my hands that makes people happy!

Sure it’s not all rainbows. There are deadlines and sore backs, politics and challenges you never would have imagined, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Coincidently, I know a guy who left beer to work for the MLB. Now that was a guy who mixed his business and pleasure!

 

Good point! Hey, he could always go the Walter White route? I mean, he’s already got access to a lab!

 

True, although that didn't end so well...then again, there WAS a Smuttynose tap handle in the final episode....and it all comes back to beer.

Note: It didn't end well for Smuttynose either unfortunately.