Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists pay in the U.S.
$83,020avg. a year
$39.91 an hour · 18,120 employed
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists in the U.S. earn an average of $83,020 a year and a median of $76,780. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($117,980) and lowest in Indiana ($58,170).
$76,780Median pay
$39.91Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
18,120Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for zoologists and wildlife biologists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1140 jobs
District of Columbia
$117,980
$56.72 an hour
22,210 jobs
California
$111,800
$53.75 an hour
3250 jobs
Maryland
$104,320
$50.15 an hour
4110 jobs
Mississippi
$93,740
$45.07 an hour
5170 jobs
Hawaii
$92,250
$44.35 an hour
690 jobs
New Jersey
$92,150
$44.31 an hour
71,840 jobs
Washington
$91,970
$44.22 an hour
8650 jobs
Alaska
$91,560
$44.02 an hour
9470 jobs
Massachusetts
$90,780
$43.64 an hour
1050 jobs
Louisiana
$89,860
$43.20 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $72k$72k–$77k$77k–$86k$86k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $115,330 | $55.45 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $105,140 | $50.55 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $105,110 | $50.53 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $97,160 | $46.71 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $96,760 | $46.52 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $96,170 | $46.24 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $94,290 | $45.33 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $91,700 | $44.09 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Conservation Scientists$77,130
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Soil and Plant Scientists$87,720
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $74,110 | $74,290 | 290 |
| Alaska | $91,560 | $90,370 | 650 |
| Arizona | $71,270 | $66,880 | 410 |
| California | $111,800 | $98,530 | 2,210 |
| Colorado | $86,710 | $83,300 | 730 |
| Connecticut | $84,390 | $77,300 | 110 |
| District of Columbia | $117,980 | $107,050 | 140 |
| Florida | $61,260 | $52,750 | 1,400 |
| Georgia | $73,880 | $66,210 | 200 |
| Hawaii | $92,250 | $84,910 | 170 |
| Idaho | $75,200 | $73,360 | 380 |
| Illinois | $82,210 | $79,780 | 250 |
| Indiana | $58,170 | $54,670 | 120 |
| Iowa | $80,120 | $83,000 | 90 |
| Kansas | $67,750 | $66,440 | 160 |
| Kentucky | $64,970 | $61,950 | 150 |
| Louisiana | $89,860 | $87,460 | 50 |
| Maine | $76,560 | $74,490 | 330 |
| Maryland | $104,320 | $107,500 | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $90,780 | $84,350 | 470 |
| Michigan | $79,570 | $79,150 | 330 |
| Minnesota | $71,910 | $68,620 | 720 |
| Mississippi | $93,740 | $88,710 | 110 |
| Missouri | $83,160 | $76,400 | 120 |
| Montana | $78,740 | $78,850 | 430 |
| Nebraska | $60,530 | $57,890 | 140 |
| Nevada | $79,540 | $75,180 | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $77,110 | $73,560 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $92,150 | $83,030 | 90 |
| New Mexico | $73,400 | $68,220 | 170 |
| New York | $85,340 | $82,640 | 370 |
| North Carolina | $75,060 | $64,620 | 350 |
| North Dakota | $79,930 | $81,330 | 100 |
| Ohio | $75,890 | $74,550 | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $64,660 | $62,730 | 120 |
| Oregon | $85,550 | $85,150 | 1,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,660 | $78,540 | 200 |
| South Carolina | $70,430 | $64,090 | 250 |
| South Dakota | $69,120 | $65,890 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $75,360 | $73,570 | 310 |
| Texas | $64,620 | $49,100 | 580 |
| Utah | $73,730 | $73,920 | 370 |
| Vermont | $82,320 | $79,620 | 70 |
| Virginia | $76,780 | $72,340 | 290 |
| Washington | $91,970 | $83,780 | 1,840 |
| Wisconsin | $70,880 | $68,370 | 360 |
| Wyoming | $74,710 | $74,150 | 320 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$105,140
720 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$91,700
350 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$66,300
310 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$105,110
300 jobsTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
$61,590
300 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$115,330
270 jobsOlympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$84,670
250 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$96,760
250 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do zoologists and wildlife biologists make?
The average is $83,020 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $76,780 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $39.91, and the median is $36.91 an hour.
Which state pays zoologists and wildlife biologists the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $117,980 a year. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $115,330.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $49,100 a year, and the top 10% earn over $126,440.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1023. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.