Marine Biology Salaries

With opportunities to study fascinating marine life, travel internationally and support conservation efforts, becoming a marine biologist sounds like a dream job to many people. Most aspiring marine biologists get their first taste of the field by exploring local tide pools or visiting aquariums. But marine biology is a little more involved than finding hermit crabs or watching dolphins play. From tiny organisms to large animals, oceans are full of diverse marine life and biologists who choose this field have many career options open to them. Teaching, research, government positions and environmental advocacy or consulting are all possibilities within the realm of marine biology. And while viewing an octopus for the first time might inspire future scientists, biology, math, and chemistry will be the true building blocks for a career in marine biology. For those who are serious about entering the field, many questions often arise regarding marine biology salaries. What is the median marine biologist salary? Does a marine biologist salary range vary much by state or city? How is the yearly salary of a marine biologist affected by experience? How do marine biologist salaries compare with the salaries for marine services technicians? These common questions can all be answered with PayScale's data on marine biologist salaries. You can view marine biologist salary data based on location, benefits/perks, industry, and many other factors.

Marine Biologist Salary Data

Comparing median Marine Biologist Salaries by State, you can see that Washington and Massachusetts currently have the highest median marine biologist salary. Looks like biologists on either coast can earn a high marine biologist salary, working "from sea to shining sea." Marine biologists looking for a sunnier locale shouldn't worry, though - Marine Biologist Salary Data by City shows that the median yearly salary of a marine biologist is currently quite high in Miami and San Diego, homes to some of the top marine biology centers in the country. In general, a marine biologist salary range stays fairly consistent for the first few years on the job, but measuring Biologist Marine Salary by years experience shows a significant increase in marine biology salaries at around the 10-year mark. Marine Services Technician Salary data shows that although marine services technician salaries are lower than marine biologist salaries, after 20 years of experience marine services technicians can make over $20 per hour.

Knowing the yearly salary of a marine biologist will give you some idea of what a career in marine biology is like, but there's always more to the story. Read the Salary Stories article, "Marine Biologist Salary: Marine Biologist Interviews" for the undersea adventures of Dr. James B. Wood, Marine Biologist with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Marine Biologist Salary Links:

Marine Biologist Salaries by Industry
Marine Biologist Salaries by City
Biologist, Marine Salary by Years of Experience
Marine Services Technician Salary