How much does a biologist make?

The average biologist salary in the United States is $65,158. Biologist salaries typically range between $46,000 and $91,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for biologists is $31.33 per hour. Biologist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Biologists earn the highest average salary in New York.

Biologist salary

Q: What state pays Biologists the most?

New York pays Biologists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $81,167 per year, or $39.02 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a biologist?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a biologist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $78,351 per year.

Q: Do biologists get paid well?

Yes, biologists get paid well. The average salary for a biologist in the United States is around $69,000 in a year. The bottom 10% of biologists may only make $40,000 a year in the role; however, the top 10% of biologists make over $120,000 in a year.

Q: Do you need a Ph.D. to be a biologist?

No, you do not need a Ph.D. to be a biologist. While the best paying jobs typically go to people who have a Ph.D., this is not a requirement to work in a position as a biologist. Biology is a fast-growing field with a wide range of high-paying positions. While the highest-paid positions require an extensive amount of training and education, they are also considered highly rewarding jobs both emotionally and financially.

Q: What is the highest-paying biology job?

The highest-paying biology job is for physicians. The average salary for a person who works in the field of biology as a physician is over $200,000 in a year. However, working as a physician requires significantly more education and experience than the typical biology job. For the average biology role, a person can expect the bottom 10% of biologists to only make $40,000 a year in the role; however, the top 10% of biologists make over $120,000 in a year.

Average biologist salary

$65,158

$31.33 hourly rate

Entry-level biologist salary

$46,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Biologist Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a biologist is approximately $65,158 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, levels of experience, and the specific industry where one is employed. For instance, biologists working in research and development or pharmaceutical industries often command higher salaries.

Salary by State

Geographic factors significantly impact earnings. States like California, Massachusetts, and Maryland typically offer the highest salaries for biologists. In contrast, states with lower costs of living may provide lower salary averages but can still offer opportunities for career growth.

Career Advancement

Biologists can enhance their earning potential by pursuing advanced degrees or specializing in high-demand areas such as molecular biology or environmental science. Industry certifications can also lead to increased job opportunities and higher salaries.

For those looking to enter the field, understanding these dynamics is essential for making informed career choices. Explore the varied roles available, from research positions to environmental consulting, to find your niche in the field of biology.

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Biologist salary by:

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Where can a Biologist earn more?

Compare salary by location

105k

85k

65k

45k

25k

Columbus, OH$88,005

Urban Honolulu, HI$55,075

Compare salary by company

141k

121k

101k

81k

61k

41k

Google$116,092

National Institute of Standards and Technology$71,419

Biologist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Ziprecruiter, Comparably, Payscale and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a biologist typically falls between $57,200 and $92,469.

zippia

$65,158yearly

indeed[1]

$92,469yearly

comparably[2]

$66,526yearly

Salary.com[3]

$57,200yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$89,688yearly

payscale[5]

$64,749yearly

CareerExplorer[6]

$82,680yearly

Average biologist salary by state

The average biologist salary in New York, California, and Utah are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average biologist salary states are Tennessee, Louisiana, and Missouri.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for biologists

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Alaska	$76,565	$36.81
2	California	$78,351	$37.67
3	Nevada	$72,877	$35.04
4	New York	$81,167	$39.02
5	Massachusetts	$72,457	$34.84
6	Montana	$70,311	$33.80
7	Utah	$77,762	$37.39
8	North Dakota	$72,307	$34.76
9	Oregon	$74,543	$35.84
10	Washington	$73,506	$35.34
11	Rhode Island	$73,772	$35.47
12	New Hampshire	$73,410	$35.29
13	District of Columbia	$74,846	$35.98
14	Connecticut	$73,260	$35.22
15	Wisconsin	$67,476	$32.44
16	South Dakota	$67,807	$32.60
17	Maine	$65,951	$31.71
18	Maryland	$69,546	$33.44
19	Mississippi	$65,527	$31.50
20	Nebraska	$63,391	$30.48
21	Wyoming	$62,609	$30.10
22	Oklahoma	$68,740	$33.05
23	West Virginia	$61,162	$29.40
24	Ohio	$64,727	$31.12
25	Delaware	$70,585	$33.94
26	Vermont	$69,344	$33.34
27	New Jersey	$69,383	$33.36
28	Georgia	$65,418	$31.45
29	Virginia	$63,282	$30.42
30	Arizona	$63,007	$30.29
31	Idaho	$58,813	$28.28
32	Pennsylvania	$58,756	$28.25
33	Hawaii	$55,073	$26.48
34	Illinois	$61,814	$29.72
35	Michigan	$60,864	$29.26
36	Colorado	$60,021	$28.86
37	Iowa	$59,898	$28.80
38	Minnesota	$63,072	$30.32
39	New Mexico	$53,343	$25.65
40	Alabama	$56,479	$27.15
41	Kansas	$58,447	$28.10
42	Indiana	$58,069	$27.92
43	Kentucky	$58,422	$28.09
44	Texas	$55,626	$26.74
45	Missouri	$51,738	$24.87
46	North Carolina	$56,061	$26.95
47	Florida	$51,205	$24.62
48	Louisiana	$52,653	$25.31
49	Tennessee	$53,097	$25.53
50	Arkansas	$50,016	$24.05
51	South Carolina	$49,125	$23.62

Top biologist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for biologists

The highest-paying cities for biologists are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$88,005	$42.31
2	Washington, DC	$74,871	$36.00
3	Seattle, WA	$74,233	$35.69
4	Portland, OR	$73,863	$35.51
5	Boston, MA	$72,482	$34.85
6	Las Vegas, NV	$71,550	$34.40
7	Baltimore, MD	$69,805	$33.56
8	Newark, NJ	$69,615	$33.47
9	Cleveland, OH	$66,570	$32.00
10	Portland, ME	$66,460	$31.95
11	Atlanta, GA	$65,781	$31.63
12	Manassas, VA	$64,510	$31.01
13	Lincoln, NE	$63,316	$30.44
14	North Chicago, IL	$62,351	$29.98
15	Charleston, WV	$60,158	$28.92
16	Denver, CO	$60,013	$28.85
17	Indianapolis, IN	$57,770	$27.77
18	Birmingham, AL	$56,675	$27.25
19	Winston-Salem, NC	$56,435	$27.13
20	Urban Honolulu, HI	$55,075	$26.48

Biologist salary details

A biologist's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $91,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average biologist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a biologist's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$91,000	$7,583	$44
75th Percentile	$78,000	$6,500	$38
Average	$65,158	$5,430	$31
25th Percentile	$54,000	$4,500	$26
10th Percentile	$46,000	$3,833	$22

Highest paying biologist jobs

The highest paying types of biologists are molecular biologist, aquatic scientist, and mycologist.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Biological Science Technician	$35,390	$2,949	$17.01	13,801
Computational Biologist	$61,449	$5,121	$29.54	12,839
Molecular Biologist	$73,763	$6,147	$35.46	22,019
Research Biologist	$69,719	$5,810	$33.52	52,799
Cell Biologist	$68,698	$5,725	$33.03	24,079

Top companies hiring biologists now:

Which companies pay biologists the most?

Biologist salaries at Google and BP America Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average biologist salary at companies like Eli Lilly and Company and AbbVie are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Google	$116,092	$55.81
2	BP America Inc	$103,214	$49.62
3	Eli Lilly and Company	$92,302	$44.38
4	AbbVie	$89,622	$43.09
5	Argonne National Laboratory	$83,238	$40.02
6	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$82,120	$39.48
7	CAMRIS International, Inc.	$80,934	$38.91
8	QC HOLDINGS	$80,246	$38.58
9	Pfizer	$77,799	$37.40
10	Miami-Dade County	$77,537	$37.28
11	Jacobs Engineering Group	$76,008	$36.54
12	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	$75,875	$36.48
13	Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc.	$74,029	$35.59
14	HDR	$73,431	$35.30
15	Merrimack Pharmaceuticals	$72,883	$35.04
16	Woods Services	$72,321	$34.77
17	BASF	$72,013	$34.62
18	Experis US Inc	$71,927	$34.58
19	SRI International	$71,574	$34.41
20	National Institute of Standards and Technology	$71,419	$34.34

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$70,000$69,600$69,200$68,800$68,400$68,000

MaleFemale

Biologist salary by industry

The average biologist salary varies across industries:

The average biologist salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $74,348, the highest of any industry.
The average biologist salary in the finance industry is $69,856.
Biologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $61,140, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for biologists

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Pharmaceutical	$74,348	$35.74
2	Energy	$69,856	$33.58
3	Health Care	$68,136	$32.76
4	Non Profits	$67,282	$32.35
5	Agriculture	$66,911	$32.17
6	Professional	$66,792	$32.11
7	Government	$61,140	$29.39

High paying biologist jobs

Biologist salary trends

The average biologist salary has risen by $11,169 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average biologist earned $53,989 annually, but today, they earn $65,158 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for biologists over the last decade.

Compare biologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average biologist salary over time

Compare biologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Biologist salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$65,200	$31.33	+4.4%
2024	$62,300	$29.96	+2.6%
2023	$60,700	$29.19	+3.3%
2022	$58,700	$28.22	+4.1%
2021	$56,300	$27.06	-0.5%

Recently added biologist salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Helix Environmental Planning	Biologist (Restoration Specialist)	Los Angeles, CA	06/30/2025	$73,045
Parametrix	Biologist/Scientist	Albuquerque, NM	06/28/2025	$52,175
Aza	Outreach Biologist	Baraboo, WI	06/28/2025	$42,000
Astrix Technology	Invivo Biologist	South San Francisco, CA	06/25/2025	$62,610
State of New York	Biologist 1 (Wildlife)/Trainee-NY Helps	Albany, NY	06/24/2025	$53,764
Crossett Search & Advisory Group	Field Biologist	Pleasanton, CA	06/23/2025	$68,000
Erm	Desert Tortoise Authorized Field Biologist (Field Based)	Las Vegas, NV	06/20/2025	$73,133
Erm	Field Biologist (Field Based)	San Jose, CA	06/20/2025	$73,000
State of Louisiana	Biologist Dcl-B	Noble, LA	06/19/2025	$65,544
California Academy of Sciences	Biologist I	San Francisco, CA	06/18/2025	$56,495

Biologist salary FAQs

What state pays Biologists the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a biologist?

Do biologists get paid well?

Do you need a Ph.D. to be a biologist?

What is the highest-paying biology job?

Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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