Marine biologist vs field naturalist

The differences between marine biologists and field naturalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a marine biologist and a field naturalist. Additionally, a marine biologist has an average salary of $54,008, which is higher than the $38,213 average annual salary of a field naturalist.

The top three skills for a marine biologist include ecology, data analysis and water quality. The most important skills for a field naturalist are social science, native plants, and .

Marine biologist vs field naturalist overview

	Marine Biologist	Field Naturalist
Yearly salary	$54,008	$38,213
Hourly rate	$25.97	$18.37
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	17,273	44,776
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 87%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Marine biologist vs field naturalist salary

Marine biologists and field naturalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Marine Biologist	Field Naturalist
Average salary	$54,008	$38,213
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $84,000	Between $22,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between marine biologist and field naturalist education

There are a few differences between a marine biologist and a field naturalist in terms of educational background:

	Marine Biologist	Field Naturalist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 87%
Most common major	Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology	Environmental Science
Most common college	University of California - Davis	University of California - Davis

Marine biologist vs field naturalist demographics

Here are the differences between marine biologists' and field naturalists' demographics:

	Marine Biologist	Field Naturalist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9%	Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between marine biologist and field naturalist duties and responsibilities

Marine biologist example responsibilities.

Manage detailed GLP laboratory manual daily.
Navigate projects with GPS; create and interpret geospatial data (GIS).
Gain an in-depth working knowledge of GIS.
Enter data into NOAA databases and extrapolate data into graphs and charts.
Utilize hand-held GPS units during fieldwork to collect and organize spatial data.
Serve as program lead in writing and renewing permits involving ESA list species.

Field naturalist example responsibilities.

Lead tour groups on both bicycles and kayaks, man small retail/rental outlet as only staff person.
Handle an assortment of animals, such as rats and snakes.
Establish and maintain appropriate systems to monitor, evaluate and report on all operational activities including logistics and program implementation.
Advise area NGOs on policy implications base on preliminary research findings.

Marine biologist vs field naturalist skills

Common marine biologist skills

Ecology, 28%
Data Analysis, 14%
Water Quality, 5%
GPS, 5%
NOAA, 5%
Husbandry, 4%

Common field naturalist skills

Social Science, 86%
Native Plants, 14%

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Marine Biologist
Marine Biologist vs Field Naturalist

Updated January 8, 2025

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