Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-1023 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$72,862
$35.03/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $72,862 per year ($35.03/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $58,365 and $90,584 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $113,360 per year. There are approximately 16,920 zoologists and wildlife biologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
18K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
7K
$67,370
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
4K
$92,060
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
2K
$63,910
Social Advocacy Organizations
NAICS 813300
1K
$58,720
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
890
$77,610
Wage range across top 5 industries: $58,720 to $92,060 (57% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$23.19
$48,235
P25
$28.06
$58,365
P50MEDIAN
$35.03
$72,862
P75
$43.55
$90,584
P90
$54.50
$113,360
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average zoologists and wildlife biologists salary?
The national median salary for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $72,862 per year ($35.03/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $58,365 and $90,584 annually.
How much do top-earning zoologists and wildlife biologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $113,360 per year ($54.50/hr). The 75th percentile is $90,584 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for zoologists and wildlife biologists?
Entry-level Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $48,235 per year ($23.19/hr). The 25th percentile is $58,365 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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