Post job

Biologist vs staff biologist

The differences between biologists and staff biologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a biologist and a staff biologist. Additionally, a staff biologist has an average salary of $65,292, which is higher than the $65,158 average annual salary of a biologist.

The top three skills for a biologist include data collection, GPS and renewable energy. The most important skills for a staff biologist are FDA, wetland, and species act.

Biologist vs staff biologist overview

BiologistStaff Biologist
Yearly salary$65,158$65,292
Hourly rate$31.33$31.39
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs5,74169,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4040
Years of experience88

Biologist vs staff biologist salary

Biologists and staff biologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

BiologistStaff Biologist
Average salary$65,158$65,292
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $91,000Between $45,000 And $93,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CARahway, NJ
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyGoogleMerck
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalPharmaceutical

Differences between biologist and staff biologist education

There are a few differences between a biologist and a staff biologist in terms of educational background:

BiologistStaff Biologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorBiologyBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of California, BerkeleyStanford University

Biologist vs staff biologist demographics

Here are the differences between biologists' and staff biologists' demographics:

BiologistStaff Biologist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 51.4% Female, 48.6%Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 10.4% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between biologist and staff biologist duties and responsibilities

Biologist example responsibilities.

  • Train for GLP compliance - manage transition of department to GLP/GCP compliance for CRO accreditation.
  • Work closely with other project leads to make sure sampling protocols for Chinook, chum and steelhead are followed.
  • Manage detailed GLP laboratory manual daily.
  • Create and manage multidisciplinary, interagency research teams.
  • Conduct data analysis for mark-recapture studies of juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead trout abundance.
  • Train ODA staff in GIS data management and model development, providing document protocols for future GIS use.
  • Show more

Staff biologist example responsibilities.

  • Manage detailed GLP laboratory manual daily.
  • Navigate to remote project sites using GPS, topo maps, aerial photographs, and GIS layers.
  • Conduct multi-layer GIS analysis for projects.
  • Collect survey measurements using survey grade GPS and laser survey equipment.
  • Full service management to private landowners and their fisheries, water-foul and whitetail deer breeder programs.
  • Develop a working knowledge of ArcPad 8.0, ArcMap GIS 9.3 and operation of Trimble Yuma PDAs.
  • Show more

Biologist vs staff biologist skills

Common biologist skills
  • Data Collection, 7%
  • GPS, 6%
  • Renewable Energy, 6%
  • Cell Culture, 5%
  • GIS, 4%
  • Technical Reports, 4%
Common staff biologist skills
  • FDA, 8%
  • Wetland, 8%
  • Species ACT, 8%
  • Molecular Biology, 8%
  • GLP, 7%
  • Water ACT, 6%

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs