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Wildlife Biologist salary
Average wildlife biologist salary
$51,084
How much does a wildlife biologist make?
The average wildlife biologist salary in the United States is $51,084. Wildlife biologist salaries typically range between $34,000 and $75,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for wildlife biologists is $24.56 per hour.
Wildlife biologist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Wildlife biologists earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
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Where can a Wildlife Biologist earn more?
Wildlife Biologist salary estimates from across the web
Average wildlife biologist salary by state
Highest paying states for wildlife biologists
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $69,621 | $33.47 |
| 2 | Maine | $59,917 | $28.81 |
| 3 | Oregon | $68,197 | $32.79 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $56,464 | $27.15 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $56,513 | $27.17 |
| 6 | Washington | $62,983 | $30.28 |
| 7 | Maryland | $60,741 | $29.20 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $58,471 | $28.11 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $58,520 | $28.13 |
| 10 | California | $60,665 | $29.17 |
| 11 | Ohio | $57,271 | $27.53 |
| 12 | Missouri | $55,472 | $26.67 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $56,643 | $27.23 |
| 14 | Utah | $58,487 | $28.12 |
| 15 | New York | $58,058 | $27.91 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $54,603 | $26.25 |
| 17 | Montana | $53,572 | $25.76 |
| 18 | Vermont | $56,621 | $27.22 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $58,237 | $28.00 |
| 20 | Idaho | $53,056 | $25.51 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,006 | $25.48 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $51,578 | $24.80 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $57,603 | $27.69 |
| 24 | Nevada | $52,319 | $25.15 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $51,208 | $24.62 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $52,368 | $25.18 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $50,870 | $24.46 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $57,586 | $27.69 |
| 29 | Colorado | $50,402 | $24.23 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $46,102 | $22.16 |
| 31 | Delaware | $53,200 | $25.58 |
| 32 | Indiana | $49,410 | $23.75 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $51,041 | $24.54 |
| 34 | Arizona | $47,212 | $22.70 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $50,368 | $24.22 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $46,820 | $22.51 |
| 37 | Illinois | $46,400 | $22.31 |
| 38 | Virginia | $43,655 | $20.99 |
| 39 | Alabama | $42,679 | $20.52 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $46,085 | $22.16 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $32,691 | $15.72 |
| 42 | Texas | $43,487 | $20.91 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $44,879 | $21.58 |
| 44 | Iowa | $44,945 | $21.61 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $44,098 | $21.20 |
| 46 | Kansas | $43,602 | $20.96 |
| 47 | Michigan | $40,644 | $19.54 |
| 48 | Georgia | $34,218 | $16.45 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $30,660 | $14.74 |
| 50 | Florida | $36,421 | $17.51 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $34,544 | $16.61 |
Highest paying cities for wildlife biologists
The highest-paying cities for wildlife biologists are Anchorage, AK, San Francisco, CA, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage, AK | $71,123 | $34.19 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $68,476 | $32.92 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $67,417 | $32.41 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $63,630 | $30.59 |
| 5 | Silver Spring, MD | $60,143 | $28.91 |
| 6 | Salt Lake City, UT | $58,331 | $28.04 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $58,063 | $27.91 |
| 8 | Lincoln, NE | $56,449 | $27.14 |
| 9 | Harrisburg, PA | $55,659 | $26.76 |
| 10 | Eagle, ID | $54,219 | $26.07 |
| 11 | Bismarck, ND | $52,321 | $25.15 |
| 12 | Rapid City, SD | $51,173 | $24.60 |
| 13 | Lakewood, CO | $50,476 | $24.27 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $47,289 | $22.74 |
| 15 | Overland Park, KS | $43,546 | $20.94 |
| 16 | Victoria, TX | $43,410 | $20.87 |
| 17 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $32,728 | $15.73 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $30,680 | $14.75 |
Wildlife Biologist salary details
A wildlife biologist's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a wildlife biologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $51,084 | $4,257 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying wildlife biologist jobs
The highest paying types of wildlife biologists are forest service wildlife program leader, marine scientist, and wildlife division manager.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Scientist | $60,208 | $5,017 | $28.95 | 56,425 |
| Ecologist | $50,369 | $4,197 | $24.22 | 7,026 |
| Biologist | $65,158 | $5,430 | $31.33 | 5,741 |
| Fisheries Biologist | $47,758 | $3,980 | $22.96 | 3,648 |
| Marine Biologist | $54,008 | $4,501 | $25.97 | 17,273 |
| Fish And Wildlife Biologist | $52,402 | $4,367 | $25.19 | 7,349 |
Top companies hiring wildlife biologists now:
Which companies pay wildlife biologists the most?
Wildlife biologist salaries at Idaho National Lab and Kleinfelder are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average wildlife biologist salary at companies like Smithsonian Institution and Forest are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho National Lab | $70,172 | $33.74 |
| 2 | Kleinfelder | $68,395 | $32.88 |
| 3 | Smithsonian Institution | $67,377 | $32.39 |
| 4 | Forest Manufacturing Co | $66,812 | $32.12 |
| 5 | Woods Services | $64,066 | $30.80 |
| 6 | Stantec | $64,001 | $30.77 |
| 7 | Michigan State University | $59,587 | $28.65 |
| 8 | National Park Foundation | $58,737 | $28.24 |
| 9 | Wildlife Habitat Council | $58,286 | $28.02 |
| 10 | Bureau of Land Management | $57,347 | $27.57 |
| 11 | State of North Dakota | $53,804 | $25.87 |
| 12 | Environmental Science Associates | $53,767 | $25.85 |
| 13 | Amec Foster Wheeler | $53,767 | $25.85 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State Treasurer | $53,767 | $25.85 |
| 15 | Port of Seattle | $53,256 | $25.60 |
| 16 | SWCA Environmental Consultants | $52,379 | $25.18 |
| 17 | Chambers Group | $50,239 | $24.15 |
| 18 | Natural Resources Conservation Service | $49,357 | $23.73 |
| 19 | PSEA | $48,964 | $23.54 |
| 20 | Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission | $48,226 | $23.19 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Wildlife Biologist salary trends
The average wildlife biologist salary has risen by $6,875 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average wildlife biologist earned $44,209 annually, but today, they earn $51,084 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for wildlife biologists over the last decade.
Compare wildlife biologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average wildlife biologist salary over time
Compare wildlife biologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
Wildlife Biologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,100 | $24.56 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | $48,700 | $23.42 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | $48,800 | $23.48 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $48,000 | $23.06 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $46,600 | $22.40 | +1.4% |
Recently added wildlife biologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICF | Wildlife Biologist Central Coast | Los Angeles, CA | 12/15/2024 | $59,837 |
| Department of Defense | Wildlife Biologist | Quantico, VA | 12/14/2024 | $68,405 |
| LVI Associates | Wildlife Biologist | Ione, CA | 12/12/2024 | $90,000 |
| Colorado State U | Wildlife Biologist-Fort Hunter Liggett | Ione, CA | 12/11/2024 | $65,000 |
| Kyhorsepark | Wildlife Biologist IV | Frankfort, KY | 12/10/2024 | $50,760 |
| U.S. Army | Wildlife Biologist | Ione, OR | 12/09/2024 | $59,966 |
| Department of Agriculture | Wildlife Biologist | Washington, DC | 12/09/2024 | $72,553 |
| State of North Dakota | Biologist II Wildlife Resource Section | Dickinson, ND | 12/07/2024 | $61,440 |
| North Dakota | Biologist II Wildlife Resource Section | Dickinson, ND | 12/06/2024 | $61,440 |
| Pheasants Forever | IL Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist II or III | Paxton, IL | 12/03/2024 | $40,500 |
Wildlife Biologist salary FAQs
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