SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management. May collect and analyze biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water habitats.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-1023.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $49,100 | $4,092 | $944 | $23.61 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $61,180 | $5,098 | $1,177 | $29.41 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $76,780 | $6,398 | $1,477 | $36.91 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $96,100 | $8,008 | $1,848 | $46.20 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $126,440 | $10,537 | $2,432 | $60.79 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $76,780, which is 51% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 30 by median pay. With 18,120 jobs, it makes up about 1.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists pay by state
The highest median pay was in Maryland ($107,500), District of Columbia ($107,050) and California ($98,530). The lowest was in Texas ($49,100), Florida ($52,750) and Indiana ($54,670). The most jobs were in California (2,210), Washington (1,840) and Florida (1,400). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 17.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 250 | $107,500 | $104,320 | $51.68 |
| District of Columbia | 140 | $107,050 | $117,980 | $51.46 |
| California | 2,210 | $98,530 | $111,800 | $47.37 |
| Alaska | 650 | $90,370 | $91,560 | $43.45 |
| Mississippi | 110 | $88,710 | $93,740 | $42.65 |
| Louisiana | 50 | $87,460 | $89,860 | $42.05 |
| Oregon | 1,010 | $85,150 | $85,550 | $40.94 |
| Hawaii | 170 | $84,910 | $92,250 | $40.82 |
| Massachusetts | 470 | $84,350 | $90,780 | $40.55 |
| Washington | 1,840 | $83,780 | $91,970 | $40.28 |
| Colorado | 730 | $83,300 | $86,710 | $40.05 |
| New Jersey | 90 | $83,030 | $92,150 | $39.92 |
| Iowa | 90 | $83,000 | $80,120 | $39.91 |
| New York | 370 | $82,640 | $85,340 | $39.73 |
| North Dakota | 100 | $81,330 | $79,930 | $39.10 |
| Illinois | 250 | $79,780 | $82,210 | $38.36 |
| Vermont | 70 | $79,620 | $82,320 | $38.28 |
| Michigan | 330 | $79,150 | $79,570 | $38.05 |
| Montana | 430 | $78,850 | $78,740 | $37.91 |
| Pennsylvania | 200 | $78,540 | $78,660 | $37.76 |
| Connecticut | 110 | $77,300 | $84,390 | $37.16 |
| Missouri | 120 | $76,400 | $83,160 | $36.73 |
| Nevada | 190 | $75,180 | $79,540 | $36.14 |
| Ohio | 220 | $74,550 | $75,890 | $35.84 |
| Maine | 330 | $74,490 | $76,560 | $35.81 |
| Alabama | 290 | $74,290 | $74,110 | $35.71 |
| Wyoming | 320 | $74,150 | $74,710 | $35.65 |
| Utah | 370 | $73,920 | $73,730 | $35.54 |
| Tennessee | 310 | $73,570 | $75,360 | $35.37 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | $73,560 | $77,110 | $35.37 |
| Idaho | 380 | $73,360 | $75,200 | $35.27 |
| Virginia | 290 | $72,340 | $76,780 | $34.78 |
| Minnesota | 720 | $68,620 | $71,910 | $32.99 |
| Wisconsin | 360 | $68,370 | $70,880 | $32.87 |
| New Mexico | 170 | $68,220 | $73,400 | $32.80 |
| Arizona | 410 | $66,880 | $71,270 | $32.15 |
| Kansas | 160 | $66,440 | $67,750 | $31.94 |
| Georgia | 200 | $66,210 | $73,880 | $31.83 |
| South Dakota | 170 | $65,890 | $69,120 | $31.68 |
| North Carolina | 350 | $64,620 | $75,060 | $31.07 |
| South Carolina | 250 | $64,090 | $70,430 | $30.81 |
| Oklahoma | 120 | $62,730 | $64,660 | $30.16 |
| Kentucky | 150 | $61,950 | $64,970 | $29.79 |
| Nebraska | 140 | $57,890 | $60,530 | $27.83 |
| Puerto Rico | not published | $57,110 | $61,040 | $27.46 |
| Indiana | 120 | $54,670 | $58,170 | $26.28 |
| Florida | 1,400 | $52,750 | $61,260 | $25.36 |
| Texas | 580 | $49,100 | $64,620 | $23.61 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Epidemiologists$87,220 a year
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220 a year
- Soil and Plant Scientists$78,850 a year
- Historians$76,750 a year
- Foresters$76,400 a year
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 a year
Common questions
How much do Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $76,780 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,100 and the highest-paid 10% more than $126,440.
How many people work as Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists?
About 18,120 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.