How To Become A Fisheries Biologist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a fisheries biologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

John Turbeville Ph.D.

Fishing is a $31.5 billion industry in the US, so there's a lot of research and development that goes into it. That's where Fisheries Biologists come into play. Fisheries Biologists study fish in their respective aquatic ecosystems. They gather data on the fish population, migration patterns, and how they interact with other local wildlife. Besides fish species, they also have to know the surrounding area's flora and fauna to make accurate assessments.

Fisheries Biologists are scientists first and foremost. They need at least a Bachelor's degree to know scientific analysis methods and familiarize themselves with the equipment necessary to do their jobs. Most Fisheries Biologists have degrees in Biology, Environmental Science, and Wildlife Management. However, those who majored in other scientific disciplines can still become Fisheries Biologists.

Fisheries Biologists in America make $43,000 on average. Many of them work for government offices, but they can also find jobs in universities and private industries.

What general advice would you give to a Fisheries Biologist?

John Turbeville Ph.D.

Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs/Director of Career Services, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

There is no particular fix, or one size fits all approach to job searching. The ability to successfully network and engage in an ongoing way, in various career-related opportunities, is still the best strategy for success, even in uncertain times like these. Students may have additional opportunities made available to them because of the digital/remote nature of how many organizations are engaging in their recruitment-allowing graduates the ability to experience more, in a shorter period, without limitations of location or travel, that very often enter into considerations surrounding the job search. With that said, however, knowing there is a durable full-time, seasonal nature to early employment opportunities for biology grads, we would expect this to be more prevalent as the economy begins to recover. Demand for graduates in the public health-related fields will likely continue to be high, but graduates will probably need to be even more flexible in starting their careers. Not in the sense that they will need to take positions "out of their field," but instead, that they will need to be more open to relocating for the right opportunities to engage their passions and interests.

ScoreFisheries BiologistUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,758

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.4

Growth Rate 1%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75%

Asian 10.22%

Black or African American 3.23%

Hispanic or Latino 9.13%

Unknown 5.39%

White 71.28%

Gender

female 34.29%

male 65.71%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.5

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a fisheries biologist

Explore fisheries biologist education requirements

Most common fisheries biologist degrees

Bachelor's

77.7 %

Master's

13.1 %

Associate

6.0 %

Start to develop specific fisheries biologist skills

Skills	Percentages
Fish Species	8.15%
GIS	8.00%
Data Collection	7.20%
Harvest	6.22%
Steelhead	5.90%

Complete relevant fisheries biologist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fisheries biologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a fisheries biologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fisheries biologist resumes.

Research fisheries biologist duties and responsibilities

Manage detailed GLP laboratory manual daily.
Experience extracting GPS metadata from photos using the Exiftool (freeware).
Fix various equipment throughout field season boats, rafts, generators, and office equipment.
Supervise seasonal staff, oversee the field portion of the budget and preform maintenance on equipment and boats.

Prepare your fisheries biologist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fisheries biologist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a fisheries biologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Fisheries Biologist Resume templates

Build a professional Fisheries Biologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Fisheries Biologist resume.

Apply for fisheries biologist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a fisheries biologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do fisheries biologists rate their job?