Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-1023 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$76,773
$36.91/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $76,773 per year ($36.91/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $61,173 and $96,096 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $126,443 per year. There are approximately 18,120 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
$70,420
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
4K
$93,810
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
2K
$84,570
Social Advocacy Organizations
NAICS 813300
1K
$56,700
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
1K
$80,980
Wage range across top 5 industries: $56,700 to $93,810 (65% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$23.61
$49,109
P25
$29.41
$61,173
P50MEDIAN
$36.91
$76,773
P75
$46.20
$96,096
P90
$60.79
$126,443
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 $76,773 per year ($36.91/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $61,173 and $96,096 annually.
How much do top-earning zoologists and wildlife biologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $126,443 per year ($60.79/hr). The 75th percentile is $96,096 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for zoologists and wildlife biologists?
Entry-level Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $49,109 per year ($23.61/hr). The 25th percentile is $61,173 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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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