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Best states for a fisheries biologist
Quoted expert
Dr. Paul Richardson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a fisheries biologist at Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for fisheries biologists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for fisheries biologist jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for fisheries biologists.We found that the South is best for fisheries biologists, and the Northeast is the worst. Portland, OR is the best city in the country for fisheries biologist jobs, where as Alaska is the best state in the country.
10 best states for fisheries biologists in 2026
1. Alaska
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $59,371 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 7.18
2. Maine
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $56,217 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
3. Oregon
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $60,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
4. Massachusetts
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $55,167 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 2.57
5. West Virginia
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $51,419 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 2.95
6. Maryland
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $57,036 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.95
7. Washington
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $56,381 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Pennsylvania
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $53,236 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 0.52
9. Rhode Island
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $55,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 0.31
10. Vermont
Total fisheries biologist jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $52,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 0.49
Fisheries biologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a fisheries biologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a fisheries biologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $59,371 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 16 |
| 2 | Maine | $56,217 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 7 |
| 3 | Oregon | $60,744 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 8 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $55,167 | $36,000 | 6,859,819 | 63 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $51,419 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 12 |
| 6 | Maryland | $57,036 | $36,000 | 6,052,177 | 33 |
| 7 | Washington | $56,381 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 24 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $53,236 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 16 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $55,206 | $36,000 | 1,059,639 | 1 |
| 10 | Vermont | $52,930 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 1 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $49,301 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 10 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $54,262 | $35,000 | 3,588,184 | 4 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $49,539 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 6 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $54,704 | $36,000 | 1,342,795 | 1 |
| 15 | Missouri | $49,031 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 28 |
| 16 | Idaho | $49,136 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 7 |
| 17 | Ohio | $52,030 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 8 |
| 18 | California | $50,485 | $30,000 | 39,536,653 | 252 |
| 19 | New York | $54,758 | $35,000 | 19,849,399 | 12 |
| 20 | Utah | $51,267 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 2 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $54,383 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 3 |
| 22 | Delaware | $50,159 | $32,000 | 961,939 | 2 |
| 23 | Montana | $46,695 | $30,000 | 1,050,493 | 8 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $47,147 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 2 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $45,855 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 27 |
| 26 | Virginia | $48,094 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 31 |
| 27 | Nevada | $47,380 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 6 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $46,990 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 4 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $45,257 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 11 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $44,977 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 3 |
| 31 | Colorado | $47,462 | $31,000 | 5,607,154 | 13 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $47,071 | $30,000 | 693,972 | 4 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $40,046 | $26,000 | 579,315 | 2 |
| 34 | Arizona | $41,992 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 19 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $46,478 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 1 |
| 36 | Texas | $44,037 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 21 |
| 37 | Indiana | $44,169 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 6 |
| 38 | Alabama | $38,824 | $25,000 | 4,874,747 | 10 |
| 39 | Illinois | $41,311 | $28,000 | 12,802,023 | 18 |
| 40 | Iowa | $39,457 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 4 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $31,855 | $24,000 | 1,427,538 | 9 |
| 42 | Kansas | $38,325 | $26,000 | 2,913,123 | 3 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $39,246 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 2 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $41,730 | $28,000 | 5,576,606 | 2 |
| 45 | Michigan | $37,208 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 8 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $35,292 | $23,000 | 10,273,419 | 10 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $27,997 | $18,000 | 5,024,369 | 5 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $31,096 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 2 |
| 49 | Georgia | $31,295 | $21,000 | 10,429,379 | 6 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $31,152 | $21,000 | 6,715,984 | 3 |
| 51 | Florida | $28,512 | $18,000 | 20,984,400 | 6 |
Highest paying states for fisheries biologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Fisheries Biologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $59,371 |
| 2 | Maine | $56,217 |
| 3 | Oregon | $60,744 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $55,167 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $51,419 |
| 6 | Maryland | $57,036 |
| 7 | Washington | $56,381 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $53,236 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $55,206 |
| 10 | Vermont | $52,930 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $49,301 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $54,262 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $49,539 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $54,704 |
| 15 | Missouri | $49,031 |
| 16 | Idaho | $49,136 |
| 17 | Ohio | $52,030 |
| 18 | California | $50,485 |
| 19 | New York | $54,758 |
| 20 | Utah | $51,267 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $54,383 |
| 22 | Delaware | $50,159 |
| 23 | Montana | $46,695 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $47,147 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $45,855 |
| 26 | Virginia | $48,094 |
| 27 | Nevada | $47,380 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $46,990 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $45,257 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $44,977 |
| 31 | Colorado | $47,462 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $47,071 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $40,046 |
| 34 | Arizona | $41,992 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $46,478 |
| 36 | Texas | $44,037 |
| 37 | Indiana | $44,169 |
| 38 | Alabama | $38,824 |
| 39 | Illinois | $41,311 |
| 40 | Iowa | $39,457 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $31,855 |
| 42 | Kansas | $38,325 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $39,246 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $41,730 |
| 45 | Michigan | $37,208 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $35,292 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $27,997 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $31,096 |
| 49 | Georgia | $31,295 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $31,152 |
| 51 | Florida | $28,512 |
Expert opinions on the best states for fisheries biologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for fisheries biologists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Paul Richardson
Chair of Chemistry Professor of Biochemistry, Coastal Carolina University
The biotech field seems to have a tremendous amount of growth due to the pandemic-particularly those involved in the chemistry of health (drug design, drug manufacturing). The healthcare field has been expanding for years.
Fisheries biologist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025