This disclosure relates to bipolar transistors, such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, having at least one grading in the collector. One aspect of this disclosure is a bipolar transistor that includes a collector having a high doping concentration at a junction with the base and at least one grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base. In some embodiments, the high doping concentration can be at least about 3×1016 cm−3. According to certain embodiments, the collector includes two gradings. Such bipolar transistors can be implemented, for example, in power amplifiers.