Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists Salary in Washington

Zoologists and wildlife biologists in Washington earned a median of $83,780 a year ($40.28 an hour) and a mean of $91,970 in May 2025. The median is 9.1% above the U.S. median of $76,780, ranking 10th of 48 states and territories, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Occupation Zoologists and Wildlife BiologistsSOC 19-1023Area WashingtonPeriod May 2025

Median annual: $83,780
Median hourly: $40.28
Mean annual: $91,970
Jobs on record: 1,840

$62,07010th percentile$29.84 an hour

$69,38025th percentile$33.36 an hour

$83,780Median$40.28 an hour

$104,75075th percentile$50.36 an hour

$129,85090th percentile$62.43 an hour

Grey needle: U.S. median, $76,780 a year.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.

How does Washington compare on pay for zoologists and wildlife biologists?

Washington ranks 10th of 48 states and territories. Maryland is highest at $107,500, $23,720 more than the Washington median.

State	Rank	Median	Against U.S.	Jobs
Hawaii	8	$84,910	+11%	170
Massachusetts	9	$84,350	+10%	470
Washington	10	$83,780	+9%	1,840
Colorado	11	$83,300	+8%	730
New Jersey	12	$83,030	+8%	90

Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 48 states and territories with a published figure. See every state.

Does Washington pay go further after prices?

Prices in Washington run 7.0% above the U.S. average, so the $83,780 median buys about what $78,290 buys at average U.S. prices, above the $76,780 U.S. median. On this measure Washington ranks 22nd of 47, down from 10th before the adjustment.

Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. The adjustment divides pay by the state's price level.

Which areas in Washington pay zoologists and wildlife biologists the most?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is highest at $96,450, 15.1% above the Washington median.

Area	Median	Jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$96,450	720
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$85,940	60
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA	$84,500	80
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$82,880	50
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$82,500	250
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area	$78,460	120
Yakima, WA	$78,460	50
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$76,600	50
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$74,710	60
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area	$71,140	160

Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Every area BLS lists for this job in Washington is shown; an area that crosses state lines is listed under the first state in its BLS title.

How many zoologists and wildlife biologists work in Washington?

BLS counts 1,840 jobs in Washington, 10.2% of the 18,120 in the U.S. That is the 2nd largest count among the 47 states and territories with a published figure. That is 0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in Washington, a location quotient of 4.44: the occupation's share of local jobs is 4.44 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.

Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025 and national file.

Related jobs in Washington

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists pay across the U.S.$76,780 median All jobs in Washington$62,990 median, all jobs Job outlook for Zoologists and Wildlife BiologistsProjected change and openings a year Biological Scientists, All Other$108,110 median in Washington Conservation Scientists$78,450 median in Washington Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$98,300 median in Washington Soil and Plant Scientists$79,970 median in Washington Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$105,020 median in Washington Animal Scientists$83,160 median in Washington

Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS state file, May 2025.