Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between ecologists and marine biologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an ecologist and a marine biologist. Additionally, a marine biologist has an average salary of $54,008, which is higher than the $50,369 average annual salary of an ecologist.
The top three skills for an ecologist include data collection, GPS and GIS. The most important skills for a marine biologist are ecology, data analysis, and water quality.
| Ecologist | Marine Biologist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,369 | $54,008 |
| Hourly rate | $24.22 | $25.97 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 7,026 | 17,273 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An ecologist is responsible for studying the ecosystem components and the interaction between humans and nature. Ecologists analyze the organisms' roles within an environment to identify solutions in solving nature issues and environmental concerns. They conduct data analysis and field investigations to support their claims, writing methodological studies, and strategizing techniques in minimizing the impact of human activities on the stability of the ecosystem. An ecologist presents the findings on research colloquiums and conferences, highlighting conservation plans and project models for environmental sustainability.
A marine biologist primarily conducts research projects. The responsibilities of this position are collecting research specimens at sea, compiling data on the field of research being carried out, conducting laboratory experiments or tests, planning experiments that will be conducted, interpreting data, using tracking technology, and preparing thorough reports and research papers. They may also recommend other industrial practices that will minimize negative effects on the marine life.
Ecologists and marine biologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ecologist | Marine Biologist | |
| Average salary | $50,369 | $54,008 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $76,000 | Between $34,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fresno, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Volkert | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an ecologist and a marine biologist in terms of educational background:
| Ecologist | Marine Biologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Biology | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology |
| Most common college | University of California - Davis | University of California - Davis |
Here are the differences between ecologists' and marine biologists' demographics:
| Ecologist | Marine Biologist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 10.3% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |