Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists earn an average annual salary of $93,946, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation).
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,580 Workforce in 2023
The Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$93,946 Average Wage
In 2023, Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists earned an average of $93,946.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Salary distribution for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,860 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -2.6%
5,705 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -5.2%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
10.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,290 employees, $95,788 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 180 employees, $105,101 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 160 employees, $98,383 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 150 employees, $95,349 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 130 employees, $112,572 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 110 employees, $104,827 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 90 employees, $90,727 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 80 employees, $66,756 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 70 employees, $72,488 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 50 employees, $99,934 avg wage
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA: 50 employees, $98,003 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists in 2023 was 1,580 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists workers.
Education level distribution for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Skills
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists need many skills, but most especially Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists include Biology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Geography.
Knowledge areas required for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists include Written Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
Daily Activities
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists spend their time on activities such as Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists.
About
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
The average yearly wage for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists was $93,946 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-1023 - Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists reports an average salary of $93,946.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.