Denver-based BioSpace, a source for biotech and life sciences news and recruitment, has released its inaugural Bay Area Hiring and Salary Report showing that the San Francisco area leads four of the nation's biotechnology regions in average salary.

Based on an examination of earnings, popular job searches and job posting responses on BioSpace.com, the report offers evidence of the Bay Area's hiring strength compared to other sampled areas, including Boston, the Mid-Atlantic and Southern California.

Bay Area employers offer higher pay for many job roles including analyst, engineer and manager. At an average $76,763 for all roles surveyed, the Bay Area leads runner-up Boston ($72,792) by nearly $4,000. The Mid-Atlantic comes in at $70,193 followed by Southern California at $67,973.

"The Bay Area remains one of the most active regions for life-science employment," said Emily Chereck, life sciences product manager at onTargetjobs, the parent company of BioSpace.

BioSpace sponsors the annual Biotech Bay branding and promotional campaign. The campaign's centerpiece is the Biotech Bay Hotbed Map, showing the region's employers for qualified job seekers online, in print and at trade shows and BioSpace Career Fairs.