Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-1023

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

The published band from $49,100 to $126,440 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Political Scientists.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists: Political Scientists ($142K) , Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other ($101K) , Sociologists ($106K) , Psychologists, All Other ($111K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-1023 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and…
  2. 2. Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations
  3. 3. Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance w…
  4. 4. Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings
  5. 5. Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending…
  6. 6. Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for sc…
  7. 7. Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, an…
  8. 8. Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff
  9. 9. Check for, and ensure compliance with, environmental laws, and notify law enforcement when violations are identified
  10. 10. Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them
  11. 11. Coordinate preventive programs to control the outbreak of wildlife diseases
  12. 12. Conduct literature reviews

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-1023 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Biology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 4.0
  3. 3. Speaking 4.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 4.0
  5. 5. Complex Problem Solving 4.0
  6. 6. Judgment and Decision Making 4.0
  7. 7. Writing 3.9
  8. 8. Science 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Biology 4.8
  2. 2. English Language 3.8
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 3.7
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.4
  5. 5. Geography 3.4
  6. 6. Law and Government 3.3
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$49,100 to $126,440
median $76,780 · ~2.6× spread
$77K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
1,400
Annual openings
18,120
Estimated US jobs
Political Scientists
Highest-pay peer · $142K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

1. Hawaii $84,910
2. Louisiana $87,460
3. Maryland $107,500
4. Washington $83,780
5. Massachusetts $84,350
6. District of Columbia $107,050
7. Oregon $85,150
8. Mississippi $88,710
9. Alaska $90,370
10. California $98,530

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Sociologists $106,030
  2. 2. Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $101,110
  3. 3. Psychologists, All Other $110,840
  4. 4. Biochemists and Biophysicists $127,410
  5. 5. Political Scientists $142,080
  6. 6. Geographers $102,040

The OEWS band for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists runs from $49,100 (10th) to $126,440 (90th), about 2.6× wide, with median $76,780. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $84,910. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Political Scientists at $142,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists pay-rank #30 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists sits at pay-rank #30 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-1023

Hawaii · top state for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

$85K published median

Louisiana · #2 state pay

$87K · behind Hawaii

Political Scientists

Highest-pay peer vs Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists · $142K

Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists · $101K

Compare Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists mid-table among Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #30 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Historians ($77K), Foresters ($76K), Soil and Plant Scientists ($79K), Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($82K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do zoologists and wildlife biologists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists. Leading ones include: Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and…; Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations; Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance w…; Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for zoologists and wildlife biologists? ▼
For SOC 19-1023, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (4.0), Speaking (4.0), Critical Thinking (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Biology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $49,100 and the 90th at $126,440 for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (2.6× spread). The national median is $76,780. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 1,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists? ▼
Hawaii ($84,910), Louisiana ($87,460), Maryland ($107,500) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-1023. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics