How to hire a fisheries biologist

How to hire a fisheries biologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fisheries biologist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fisheries biologist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fisheries biologist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a fisheries biologist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the fisheries biologist you need to hire. Certain fisheries biologist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A fisheries biologist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, fisheries biologists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of fisheries biologists.

   Type of Fisheries Biologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Fisheries Biologist	Zoologists and wildlife biologists study animals and other wildlife and how they interact with their ecosystems. They study the physical characteristics of animals, animal behaviors, and the impacts humans have on wildlife and natural habitats... Show more	$14-34
   Ecologist	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... Show more	$15-36
   Biologist	A biologist is a specialized scientist focusing on studying living organisms and their relationship to the existing ecosystem. Biologists spend lots of time doing research and validating theories to support the complexity of the living matter... Show more	$22-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Fish Species
   • GIS
   • Data Collection
   • Harvest
   • Steelhead
   • Water Quality
   • Data Entry
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Fish Habitat
   • Data Analysis
   • Biological Samples
   • Fish Passage
   • Analyze Data
   • Aquatic Habitats

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage detailed GLP laboratory manual daily.
   • Experience extracting GPS metadata from photos using the Exiftool (freeware).
   • Fix various equipment throughout field season boats, rafts, generators, and office equipment.
   • Supervise seasonal staff, oversee the field portion of the budget and preform maintenance on equipment and boats.
   • Project require review of existing environmental data, identification of permitting requirements, wetland identification/delineation and sensitive and endanger species issues.
   • Authore key wildlife portions of BLM planning documents.

   More fisheries biologist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fisheries biologist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A fisheries biologist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a fisheries biologist in Hawaii may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level fisheries biologist usually earns less than a senior-level fisheries biologist. Additionally, a fisheries biologist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average fisheries biologist salary

   $47,758yearly

   $22.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fisheries biologist salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average fisheries biologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$60,191	$29
   2	California	$57,015	$27
   3	Massachusetts	$54,984	$26
   4	Idaho	$49,098	$24
   5	Texas	$43,580	$21
   6	North Carolina	$36,023	$17
   7	Florida	$28,771	$14

   Average fisheries biologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AECOM	$69,696	$33.51	17
   2	Avista	$56,039	$26.94	4
   3	ICF	$55,726	$26.79	10
   4	Resource Environmental Solutions	$52,320	$25.15	2
   5	Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission	$51,162	$24.60	3
   6	Environmental Science Associates	$50,831	$24.44	2
   7	Pennsylvania State Treasurer	$50,831	$24.44
   8	MRAG Americas	$50,823	$24.43
   9	State of Connecticut	$43,082	$20.71	2
   10	Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania	$34,042	$16.37
   11	NC.gov	$32,625	$15.69	3

4. Writing a fisheries biologist job description

   A good fisheries biologist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a fisheries biologist job description:

   Fisheries biologist job description example

   Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties around the globe and are committed to fostering an inclusive community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. We're a place to apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work that's critical to our clients and the communities they support. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.
   Your Opportunity
   
   As an Aquatic Biologist, you will be part of a team conducting various field studies, evaluating field results and preparing technical reports, assessing various projects for potential impacts to aquatic resources, and contributing to larger environmental documents. Work will include both desktop and field work, depending on the need, career goals, and future workload.
   
   Your Key Responsibilities
   
   + Field team lead and/or support for various aquatic and fisheries-related projects and field programs, including fish surveys (also other aquatic species), instream flow/hydrology, water temperature, and general water quality
   
   + Technical data analyses and report writing
   
   + Modeling interpretation (habitat and temperature) Aquatics and fisheries support for CEQA and NEPA documents, and 401, 404, and 1600 permits
   
   + Presentations with clients and stakeholders
   
   + Supervise and mentor junior aquatic staff Business development
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   Your Capabilities and Credentials
   
   + Strong quantitative and analytical skills
   
   + Strong technical data analysis and report writing
   
   + Experience/ability to lead field studies (e.g., fisheries, water quality)
   
   + Excellent oral and written communication skills
   
   + Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word General knowledge of Northern California watersheds and the California Bay-Delta
   
   + General knowledge of anadromous fish species/ water resources/ water quality
   
   + Experience with proposal writing and business development Willing and able to travel to field sites and project meetings
   
   + Ability to work well independently and with a diverse, multi-disciplinary team
   
   + Self-motivated with strong initiative
   
   + Creative, resourceful, and detail-oriented Positive and energetic attitude
   
   Education and Experience
   
   + Bachelors with extensive experience, or MS/PhD in fish biology, aquatic ecology, or environmental sciences/engineering or related science
   
   + 10 or more years of relevant experience
   
   This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.
   
   Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each other's talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us. Join us and redefine your personal best.
   
   **Primary Location** : United States-California-Sacramento
   
   **Job** : Acquisition Employee
   
   **Organization** : BC-2378 Environmental Services-NR-US West
   
   **Employee Status** : Regular
   
   **Job Level** : Manager
   
   **Travel** : No
   
   **Schedule** : Full-time
   
   **Job Posting** : Aug 16, 2022, 10:24:41 AM
   
   
   Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. EEO including Disability/Protected Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find fisheries biologists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any fisheries biologists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level fisheries biologists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fisheries biologist job on Zippia to find and recruit fisheries biologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit fisheries biologists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fisheries biologist

   Once you've decided on a perfect fisheries biologist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new fisheries biologist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a fisheries biologist?