Biological science technician vs fishery observer

The differences between biological science technicians and fishery observers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a biological science technician and a fishery observer. Additionally, a fishery observer has an average salary of $36,453, which is higher than the $35,390 average annual salary of a biological science technician.

The top three skills for a biological science technician include laboratory equipment, data collection and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a fishery observer are biological samples, vessel safety, and biological data.

Biological science technician vs fishery observer overview

	Biological Science Technician	Fishery Observer
Yearly salary	$35,390	$36,453
Hourly rate	$17.01	$17.53
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	13,801	405
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 88%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Biological science technician vs fishery observer salary

Biological science technicians and fishery observers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Biological Science Technician	Fishery Observer
Average salary	$35,390	$36,453
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $47,000	Between $27,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Watertown Town, MA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	SenesTech	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between biological science technician and fishery observer education

There are a few differences between a biological science technician and a fishery observer in terms of educational background:

	Biological Science Technician	Fishery Observer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 88%
Most common major	Biology	Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Biological science technician vs fishery observer demographics

Here are the differences between biological science technicians' and fishery observers' demographics:

	Biological Science Technician	Fishery Observer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0%	Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 12.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between biological science technician and fishery observer duties and responsibilities

Biological science technician example responsibilities.

Create PowerPoint and other support media for presentation of research to PhD research leads.
Assist in developing a genetic algorithm for generating sound recognition templates for insect calls (still ongoing).
Develop an image viewer design to let researchers train programs so that they can see and label insect calls
General laboratory work - collecting tissue sample, organization/preparation, plant seeds, greenhouse work, maintenance of plants, etc
Train on FDA regulations for biological materials and regulating inventory.
Prepare bacteria suspension for greenhouse cotton bolls and inject bacterial suspension bolls.

Fishery observer example responsibilities.

Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
Monitor the vessels level of compliance with fishing regulations in accordance with the U.S. coast guard and NMFS.
Record data is reported to NOAA through online data entry as well as hard copy.
Work aboard foreign fisheries vessels to collect data, tag sharks, and monitor fishing activities.
Submit work proposals for the development of new training materials and curricula in coordination and collaboration with NMFS.
Monitor compliance of fisheries and environmental regulations.

Biological science technician vs fishery observer skills

Common biological science technician skills

Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Data Collection, 7%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Scientific Data, 5%
USDA, 5%
Water Quality, 4%

Common fishery observer skills

Biological Samples, 19%
Vessel Safety, 13%
Biological Data, 7%
Fisheries Management, 7%
Data Collection, 7%
Nmfs, 7%

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Biological Science Technician
Biological Science Technician vs Fishery Observer

Updated January 8, 2025

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