How much do wildlife biologists make in 2026?
Wildlife biologists earn a national median of $76,780 a year ($36.91 an hour) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 for SOC 19-1023, zoologists and wildlife biologists, with the bottom 10% near $49,100 and the top 10% at $126,440 across 18,120 workers. The band is reasonable, but it describes people who already hold permanent positions, and the route to one is the part that deserves explaining. Entry into this field typically runs through several years of seasonal field technician work — bird surveys, radio telemetry, trapping and tagging, vegetation sampling — paid at hourly rates well below this band, often without benefits, frequently requiring relocation each season. That period functions as an unofficial apprenticeship and filters the field heavily. Permanent positions sit mostly with state fish and wildlife agencies and federal land management agencies, both paying on published grade scales, with a smaller number at environmental consultancies, non-profits and universities. Consulting wildlife biologists doing endangered species surveys and habitat assessment for permitting frequently earn more than agency staff, because the work attaches to a regulatory requirement that a developer must satisfy. A master's degree is close to standard for permanent positions. Employment is projected to grow 1.6% through 2034 with roughly 1,400 openings a year. → Full wildlife biologist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $76,780 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Wildlife Biologists earn a national median $76,780/yr ($36.91/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-1023); the P10 to P90 range is $49,100 to $126,440.
- The published band describes people who already hold permanent positions; entry runs through several years of seasonal technician work paid well below it, often without benefits.
- Permanent posts sit mostly with state and federal agencies on published grade scales, with consultancies, non-profits and universities filling out a smaller share.
- Consulting wildlife biologists doing survey and habitat work for permitting frequently out-earn agency staff, because the work attaches to a regulatory requirement rather than to a budget line.
US Wildlife Biologist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do wildlife biologists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 19-1023; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-1023, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a wildlife biologist earn at each career stage?
Wildlife biology pay follows employer type and whether the position is permanent. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 19-1023.
By State
Which states pay wildlife biologists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the national wildlife biologist median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Agency pay follows published state and federal grade scales rather than local wage markets, so the modeled variation overstates the real spread for a large share of this profession.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($88,300), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay wildlife biologists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Wildlife work is inherently rural, and metro figures are a poor guide to where the positions are.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a wildlife biologist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does wildlife biologist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Wildlife Biologists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify wildlife biologist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a wildlife biologist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Wildlife Biologist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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