Botanist Salary

Top Cities by Popularity for Botanist Jobs

Top Cities by Popularity 1. Pasadena, California

What are Botanist Salaries Like?

Anyone who lives in a tropical climate or farming community has constant reminders of the beauty and importance of plant life. For someone who lives in, say, New York City, nature might seem like a distant idea - an experience limited to Central Park and flower shops. But, all humans in all areas are dependent on plants for many reasons, including medications, food and the air we breathe. Studying the science of plants is therefore an important part of understanding and managing the natural world.

As a scientific field, botany is just about as varied as the many plants in existence around the globe. Careers in botany include specialties such as biochemistry or genetics and, on a larger scale, may focus on things like horticulture or conservation. Many students are drawn to careers in botany because they hope to travel and have the opportunity to work outdoors. Travel to exotic locations is one possibility for plant scientists, but careers in botany can also involve teaching, research in a laboratory setting, landscape design, consulting and many other job options. Potential work settings for botanists range from pharmaceutical companies to botanical gardens. Given the broad range of career options for botanists, many fledgling scientists want to know: what are botanist salaries like? Researching PayScale's salary data can help to answer some basic questions regarding botany salaries.

Researching Botanist Salaries

In addition to industry and employment setting, botanist salaries are also affected by location. Using the PayScale Cost of Living Calculator, we can find data on both Cost of Living and Botanist Salaries for different U.S. cities. For example, take a look at how the cost of living relates to Botanist Salaries in Miami, Florida. The median botanist salary ranges from around $36,000 to around $58,000 while the overall cost of living is about 7 percent above the national average. Breaking down the cost of living into specific budget areas such as groceries, housing and utilities, we can see that the most significant expense in Miami is the cost of housing. If you're planning to relocate to a different city, you can use this calculator to get a cost of living comparison between your current city and other areas, allowing you to see just how far botanist salaries will go in various locations. Botany Salaries in Los Angeles might be higher than in Seattle, but how do the cities rank when it comes to cost of living? Comparing these two cities shows that the cost of housing alone is about 50 percent higher in Los Angeles.

To further your salary research, see PayScale's reports on Agronomist Salary and Horticulturist Salary.