Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a wildlife biologist
Quoted expert
Dr. Paul Richardson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for wildlife biologists? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for wildlife biologist jobs.Although there are abundant wildlife biologist jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Alaska is the best state in the country for wildlife biologist jobs.
In order to get you the best states for wildlife biologists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a wildlife biologist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for wildlife biologists in 2026
1. Alaska
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $69,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 9.98
2. Maine
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $59,917 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
3. Oregon
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $68,197 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
4. Nebraska
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $56,464 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 4.39
5. West Virginia
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $56,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 2.64
6. Washington
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $62,983 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
7. Maryland
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $60,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
8. Massachusetts
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $58,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 2.38
9. Rhode Island
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $58,520 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.47
10. California
Total wildlife biologist jobs: 259 Average annual salary: $60,665 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 2.55
Wildlife biologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a wildlife biologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a wildlife biologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $69,621 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 29 |
| 2 | Maine | $59,917 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 8 |
| 3 | Oregon | $68,197 | $41,000 | 4,142,776 | 11 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $56,464 | $38,000 | 1,920,076 | 34 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $56,513 | $37,000 | 1,815,857 | 14 |
| 6 | Washington | $62,983 | $38,000 | 7,405,743 | 27 |
| 7 | Maryland | $60,741 | $39,000 | 6,052,177 | 41 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $58,471 | $38,000 | 6,859,819 | 76 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $58,520 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 2 |
| 10 | California | $60,665 | $37,000 | 39,536,653 | 259 |
| 11 | Ohio | $57,271 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 14 |
| 12 | Missouri | $55,472 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 29 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $56,643 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 25 |
| 14 | Utah | $58,487 | $37,000 | 3,101,833 | 4 |
| 15 | New York | $58,058 | $38,000 | 19,849,399 | 32 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $54,603 | $35,000 | 2,984,100 | 7 |
| 17 | Montana | $53,572 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 12 |
| 18 | Vermont | $56,621 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 2 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $58,237 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 2 |
| 20 | Idaho | $53,056 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 10 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,006 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 3 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $51,578 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 5 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $57,603 | $38,000 | 3,588,184 | 4 |
| 24 | Nevada | $52,319 | $32,000 | 2,998,039 | 8 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $51,208 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 33 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $52,368 | $35,000 | 4,454,189 | 8 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $50,870 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 12 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $57,586 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 4 |
| 29 | Colorado | $50,402 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 25 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $46,102 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 5 |
| 31 | Delaware | $53,200 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 2 |
| 32 | Indiana | $49,410 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 10 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $51,041 | $32,000 | 4,684,333 | 4 |
| 34 | Arizona | $47,212 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 16 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $50,368 | $32,000 | 693,972 | 4 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $46,820 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 10 |
| 37 | Illinois | $46,400 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 20 |
| 38 | Virginia | $43,655 | $28,000 | 8,470,020 | 35 |
| 39 | Alabama | $42,679 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 12 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $46,085 | $30,000 | 3,004,279 | 2 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $32,691 | $24,000 | 1,427,538 | 11 |
| 42 | Texas | $43,487 | $27,000 | 28,304,596 | 34 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $44,879 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 13 |
| 44 | Iowa | $44,945 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 4 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $44,098 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 3 |
| 46 | Kansas | $43,602 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 4 |
| 47 | Michigan | $40,644 | $27,000 | 9,962,311 | 11 |
| 48 | Georgia | $34,218 | $22,000 | 10,429,379 | 26 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $30,660 | $20,000 | 5,024,369 | 7 |
| 50 | Florida | $36,421 | $23,000 | 20,984,400 | 18 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $34,544 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 3 |
Highest paying states for wildlife biologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Wildlife Biologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $69,621 |
| 2 | Maine | $59,917 |
| 3 | Oregon | $68,197 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $56,464 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $56,513 |
| 6 | Washington | $62,983 |
| 7 | Maryland | $60,741 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $58,471 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $58,520 |
| 10 | California | $60,665 |
| 11 | Ohio | $57,271 |
| 12 | Missouri | $55,472 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $56,643 |
| 14 | Utah | $58,487 |
| 15 | New York | $58,058 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $54,603 |
| 17 | Montana | $53,572 |
| 18 | Vermont | $56,621 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $58,237 |
| 20 | Idaho | $53,056 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,006 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $51,578 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $57,603 |
| 24 | Nevada | $52,319 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $51,208 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $52,368 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $50,870 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $57,586 |
| 29 | Colorado | $50,402 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $46,102 |
| 31 | Delaware | $53,200 |
| 32 | Indiana | $49,410 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $51,041 |
| 34 | Arizona | $47,212 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $50,368 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $46,820 |
| 37 | Illinois | $46,400 |
| 38 | Virginia | $43,655 |
| 39 | Alabama | $42,679 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $46,085 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $32,691 |
| 42 | Texas | $43,487 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $44,879 |
| 44 | Iowa | $44,945 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $44,098 |
| 46 | Kansas | $43,602 |
| 47 | Michigan | $40,644 |
| 48 | Georgia | $34,218 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $30,660 |
| 50 | Florida | $36,421 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $34,544 |
Expert opinions on the best states for wildlife biologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for wildlife 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.
Wildlife biologist best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for wildlife biologist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025