SOC 19-1023 · Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$76,780

U.S. median hourly wage$36.91

U.S. employment18,120

Nationally, zoologists and wildlife biologists earned a median of $76,780 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 18,120 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

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Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists: pay and employment by state
State
Maryland	$107,500	$51.68	250	0.1
District of Columbia	$107,050	$51.46	140	0.2
California	$98,530	$47.37	2,210	0.1
Alaska	$90,370	$43.45	650	2.0
Mississippi	$88,710	$42.65	110	0.1
Louisiana	$87,460	$42.05	50	0.0
Oregon	$85,150	$40.94	1,010	0.5
Hawaii	$84,910	$40.82	170	0.3
Massachusetts	$84,350	$40.55	470	0.1
Washington	$83,780	$40.28	1,840	0.5
Colorado	$83,300	$40.05	730	0.3
New Jersey	$83,030	$39.92	90	0.0
Iowa	$83,000	$39.91	90	0.1
New York	$82,640	$39.73	370	0.0
North Dakota	$81,330	$39.10	100	0.2
Illinois	$79,780	$38.36	250	0.0
Vermont	$79,620	$38.28	70	0.2
Michigan	$79,150	$38.05	330	0.1
Montana	$78,850	$37.91	430	0.8
Pennsylvania	$78,540	$37.76	200	0.0
Connecticut	$77,300	$37.16	110	0.1
Missouri	$76,400	$36.73	120	0.0
Nevada	$75,180	$36.14	190	0.1
Ohio	$74,550	$35.84	220	0.0
Maine	$74,490	$35.81	330	0.5
Alabama	$74,290	$35.71	290	0.1
Wyoming	$74,150	$35.65	320	1.2
Utah	$73,920	$35.54	370	0.2
Tennessee	$73,570	$35.37	310	0.1
New Hampshire	$73,560	$35.37	40	0.1
Idaho	$73,360	$35.27	380	0.4
Virginia	$72,340	$34.78	290	0.1
Minnesota	$68,620	$32.99	720	0.2
Wisconsin	$68,370	$32.87	360	0.1
New Mexico	$68,220	$32.80	170	0.2
Arizona	$66,880	$32.15	410	0.1
Kansas	$66,440	$31.94	160	0.1
Georgia	$66,210	$31.83	200	0.0
South Dakota	$65,890	$31.68	170	0.4
North Carolina	$64,620	$31.07	350	0.1
South Carolina	$64,090	$30.81	250	0.1
Oklahoma	$62,730	$30.16	120	0.1
Kentucky	$61,950	$29.79	150	0.1
Nebraska	$57,890	$27.83	140	0.1
Puerto Rico	$57,110	$27.46	Not published	Not published
Indiana	$54,670	$26.28	120	0.0
Florida	$52,750	$25.36	1,400	0.1
Texas	$49,100	$23.61	580	0.0

Pay by metro area

All 100 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

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Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$129,940	$62.47	40	0.0
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$122,170	$58.74	30	0.3
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	$113,800	$54.71	30	0.2
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$104,330	$50.16	270	0.1
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$99,490	$47.83	100	0.1
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$99,230	$47.71	300	0.1
Salem, OR	$98,110	$47.17	80	0.4
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$97,040	$46.66	80	0.1
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$96,450	$46.37	720	0.3
Worcester, MA	$93,930	$45.16	70	0.2
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$93,500	$44.95	250	0.2
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$89,880	$43.21	350	0.3
Fairbanks-College, AK	$88,740	$42.67	100	2.7
Urban Honolulu, HI	$88,240	$42.42	130	0.3
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$86,670	$41.67	70	0.3
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$86,400	$41.54	160	0.0
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$85,940	$41.32	60	0.6
Bismarck, ND	$85,330	$41.03	40	0.6
Corvallis, OR	$85,150	$40.94	80	2.1
Anchorage, AK	$85,130	$40.93	180	1.0
Salinas, CA	$84,900	$40.82	50	0.3
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$84,620	$40.68	190	0.2
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA	$84,500	$40.63	80	1.5
Grand Junction, CO	$84,360	$40.56	30	0.4
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	$84,240	$40.50	140	0.8
Helena, MT	$84,230	$40.49	70	1.5
Bend, OR	$83,780	$40.28	60	0.6
Medford, OR	$83,780	$40.28	40	0.4
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$83,490	$40.14	Not published	Not published
Boulder, CO	$83,300	$40.05	130	0.7
Bozeman, MT	$83,230	$40.02	50	0.7
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$82,880	$39.85	50	0.4
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$82,500	$39.66	250	1.9
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$82,360	$39.60	Not published	Not published
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$81,040	$38.96	50	0.1
Eugene-Springfield, OR	$80,990	$38.94	50	0.3
Cleveland, OH	$80,980	$38.93	30	0.0
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$80,540	$38.72	160	0.1
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$80,360	$38.63	50	0.2
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$80,260	$38.59	100	0.1
Mobile, AL	$80,110	$38.52	50	0.3
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$79,780	$38.36	190	0.0
Columbia, SC	$79,580	$38.26	50	0.1
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$79,440	$38.19	70	0.1
Richmond, VA	$79,220	$38.09	40	0.1
Reno, NV	$79,160	$38.06	40	0.2
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$79,010	$37.98	40	0.0
Bangor, ME	$79,000	$37.98	50	0.7
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$78,850	$37.91	50	0.6
Yakima, WA	$78,460	$37.72	50	0.5
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$78,380	$37.69	80	0.2
Portland-South Portland, ME	$77,290	$37.16	90	0.3
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$77,280	$37.15	50	0.1
Boise City, ID	$77,210	$37.12	150	0.4
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$76,600	$36.83	50	0.9
Columbus, OH	$75,400	$36.25	50	0.0
Montgomery, AL	$75,210	$36.16	40	0.3
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$75,190	$36.15	160	0.1
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$74,710	$35.92	60	0.2
Missoula, MT	$73,920	$35.54	70	1.1
Coeur d'Alene, ID	$73,360	$35.27	40	0.6
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$73,280	$35.23	50	0.0
Colorado Springs, CO	$72,860	$35.03	40	0.1
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$72,760	$34.98	130	0.2
Ogden, UT	$72,160	$34.69	40	0.1
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	$70,840	$34.06	40	0.1
Madison, WI	$70,410	$33.85	110	0.3
Flagstaff, AZ	$70,370	$33.83	70	1.0
Duluth, MN-WI	$69,030	$33.19	70	0.5
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$68,200	$32.79	50	0.0
Rapid City, SD	$68,100	$32.74	50	0.7
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$67,970	$32.68	180	0.1
Albuquerque, NM	$67,930	$32.66	50	0.1
Santa Fe, NM	$67,870	$32.63	40	0.7
Casper, WY	$67,640	$32.52	40	0.9
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$66,790	$32.11	40	0.1
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$66,770	$32.10	60	0.0
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$65,870	$31.67	50	0.1
Tucson, AZ	$64,330	$30.93	50	0.1
Lansing-East Lansing, MI	$63,520	$30.54	90	0.4
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$63,370	$30.46	90	0.1
Knoxville, TN	$62,670	$30.13	90	0.2
Oklahoma City, OK	$61,210	$29.43	90	0.1
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$61,050	$29.35	310	0.2
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$58,260	$28.01	130	0.3
Naples-Marco Island, FL	$57,240	$27.52	Not published	Not published
Gainesville, FL	$55,790	$26.82	110	0.7
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$55,050	$26.47	300	0.2
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL	$54,750	$26.32	30	0.4
Lincoln, NE	$54,530	$26.22	30	0.2
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$53,230	$25.59	240	0.1
Tallahassee, FL	$52,060	$25.03	110	0.6
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	$50,000	$24.04	40	0.2
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$49,920	$24.00	40	0.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$49,100	$23.61	240	0.1
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$48,130	$23.14	180	0.1
Jacksonville, FL	$48,110	$23.13	90	0.1
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	Not published	Not published	130	0.4
Barnstable Town, MA	Not published	Not published	150	1.6
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	Not published	Not published	40	0.2

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.