Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2003

19-1023 Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management, including the collection and analysis of biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water areas.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
12,880 5.9 % $24.57 $51,100 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.66 $18.36 $23.72 $29.25 $35.94
Annual Wage (2) $30,490 $38,190 $49,330 $60,830 $74,760

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
State government (OES designation) 4,810 $22.30 $46,380 1 6
Federal government (OES designation) 4,080 $29.82 $62,030 2 1
Scientific research and development services 1,670 $22.05 $45,850 3 7
Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks 590 $16.74 $34,830 4 10
Management and technical consulting services 540 $25.41 $52,840 5 2

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Federal government (OES designation) 4,080 $29.82 $62,030 2 1
Management and technical consulting services 540 $25.41 $52,840 5 2
Local government (OES designation) 410 $24.79 $51,560 6 3
Civic and social organizations 60 $24.61 $51,190 10 4
Architectural and engineering services 230 $23.85 $49,610 8 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Alaska 760 $26.34 $54,790 0.260% 123
Montana 280 $26.02 $54,130 0.071% 62
Idaho 380 $20.90 $43,480 0.067% 141
Washington 1,380 $26.49 $55,100 0.054% 168
Oregon 720 $25.18 $52,380 0.047% 124

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Maryland 260 $33.57 $69,830 0.011% 70
Rhode Island 40 $31.05 $64,570 0.008% 75
New Mexico 240 $28.61 $59,500 0.033% 66
Michigan 100 $27.05 $56,260 0.002% 132
Missouri 60 $26.59 $55,300 0.002% 103

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Corvallis, OR MSA 120 $27.71 $57,630 0.405%
Olympia, WA PMSA 190 $25.05 $52,110 0.224%
Anchorage, AK MSA 280 $26.89 $55,930 0.203%
Santa Fe, NM MSA 130 $32.04 $66,640 0.177%
Flagstaff, AZ-UT MSA 50 $27.24 $56,660 0.093%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA 480 $36.38 $75,670 0.018%
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA 80 $33.57 $69,830 0.067%
Santa Fe, NM MSA 130 $32.04 $66,640 0.177%
Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA MSA 50 $31.78 $66,110 0.010%
Gainesville, FL MSA 40 $31.76 $66,050 0.042%

About May 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

2003 May National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 7, 2004