How To Become A Marine Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a marine scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Craig Magie Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a marine scientist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $36.85 an hour? That's $76,640 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a marine scientist?

Craig Magie Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology Quinnipiac University Department of Biological Sciences, Quinnipiac University

Decide what sort of biology you enjoy the most, and pursue a career based on that. For example, some students enjoy laboratory science and would be a good fit for a job in the pharmaceutical industry. Others enjoy being outside in nature and would be better served by a career in the forest service or something similar. The more you enjoy what you do, the more motivated you will be to do it well. Make sure you have marketable skills employers are looking for and play up your critical thinking skills and adaptability. You may not be familiar with the specific technologies used in a particular job, but if you can demonstrate that you are a quick and eager learner you will be a more attractive candidate.

ScoreMarine ScientistUS Average

Salary

6.0

Avg. Salary $76,640

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%

Asian 11.13%

Black or African American 2.31%

Hispanic or Latino 6.35%

Unknown 4.95%

White 74.69%

Gender

female 52.27%

male 47.73%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a marine scientist

Explore marine scientist education requirements

Most common marine scientist degrees

Bachelor's

81.8 %

Doctorate

6.8 %

Master's

6.8 %

Start to develop specific marine scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
NOAA	32.35%
Water Quality	28.34%
Geotechnical	14.26%
DMR	13.66%
Fisheries	11.38%

Complete relevant marine scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New marine scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a marine scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real marine scientist resumes.

Research marine scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
Conduct research and analyze data to identify potential biomarkers and provide input for selection of candidates for non-clinical studies development.
Facilitate customer acceptance of demand forecast by developing visualization processes, tutoring clients in methodology, and providing detail walk-through examples.

Prepare your marine scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your marine scientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a marine scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable marine scientist resume templates

Build a professional marine scientist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your marine scientist resume.