Average Zoologist Salary and Pay Ranges
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for zoologists and wildlife biologists was approximately $66,350 as of May 2023, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $41,720 and the highest 10 percent exceeding $106,320. Entry-level zoologists with a bachelor's degree typically start between $38,000 and $48,000, while mid-career professionals with 5 to 10 years of experience often reach $58,000 to $78,000, especially in federal or state government roles. Salary can vary sharply by industry, with management, scientific, and technical consulting services often paying above the median, while local government positions may cluster near the lower end of the range. The BLS projects employment for zoologists and wildlife biologists to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with roughly 1,700 openings expected each year on average over the decade. Additional data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that bachelor's degree recipients in biology-related fields, including zoology, reported average starting salaries near $45,000 to $52,000 in recent surveys. For more detailed occupational employment and wage statistics, see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Geographic location is a major salary driver, with states such as California, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, and Massachusetts offering some of the highest average wages for zoologists due to concentration of research institutions, federal agencies, and conservation organizations. Metropolitan areas with major research universities, national parks, or large environmental consulting sectors tend to pay more than rural regions, though cost-of-living differences can offset the nominal pay gap. Internships and fieldwork during graduate studies often lead to direct job offers from agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the Smithsonian Institution, where structured pay scales and federal benefits add to total compensation. In the private sector, environmental consulting firms and large biotechnology companies hire zoologists for ecological risk assessments and biodiversity consulting, with salaries frequently above the federal median for those with specialized skills in GIS, population modeling, or molecular ecology.
Top Employers and Sectors for Zoologist Pay
The federal government remains the single largest employer of zoologists and wildlife biologists, with agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service offering competitive salaries and job stability. Scientific research and development services, including roles at universities, nonprofit research institutes, and private contract research organizations, represent another major sector where salaries are shaped by grant funding, publication records, and seniority. State government agencies, particularly fish and wildlife departments and natural resource agencies, employ zoologists for population surveys, habitat management, and endangered species recovery programs, with pay typically aligned with state civil service scales. The mining, oil, and gas extraction sector also hires wildlife biologists for environmental compliance and impact assessments, often at salaries that exceed academic and nonprofit roles due to the technical demands and remote fieldwork requirements.
Major employers such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, and large conservation nonprofits like the Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund offer zoologist positions that blend research, fieldwork, and public outreach, with compensation packages that include benefits, travel allowances, and publication support. Private consulting firms such as AECOM, Stantec, and Tetra Tech employ zoologists for environmental impact studies, wetland delineation, and species mitigation plans, with salaries that often exceed public-sector equivalents for comparable experience levels