Zoologists and wildlife biologists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Zoologists and wildlife biologists in the United States earn a median salary of $76,780 per year — about $37 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 18K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +2%.
AI & Automation Risk
This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital knowledge work. AI significantly impacts the data-heavy aspects of the job, such as analyzing GIS data, processing camera trap imagery, and modeling population dynamics, but it cannot replace the physical requirements of collecting biological specimens, handling wild animals, or navigating remote outdoor environments.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MSBEST VALUE | $113,800 | Below avg (90.0) | $126,436 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,940 | Above avg (110.4) | $117,675 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $122,170 | Above avg (109.9) | $111,169 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $104,330 | Above avg (108.9) | $95,818 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $97,040 | Average (101.8) | $95,349 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $99,490 | Above avg (104.5) | $95,218 |
| Salem, OR | $98,110 | Above avg (103.6) | $94,656 |
| Bismarck, ND | $85,330 | Below avg (91.0) | $93,745 |
| Worcester, MA | $93,930 | Average (102.5) | $91,618 |
| Mobile, AL | $80,110 | Below avg (88.1) | $90,933 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $84,360 | Below avg (95.5) | $88,357 |
| Helena, MT | $84,230 | Below avg (95.7) | $88,038 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $96,450 | Above avg (111.1) | $86,788 |
| Cleveland, OH | $80,980 | Below avg (93.9) | $86,220 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $88,740 | Above avg (103.2) | $85,982 |