Biologists Career, Salary and Skills

Occupation description

Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.

National salary and employment

Top skills

Typical tasks

• Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
• Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
• Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
• Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
• Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
• Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
• Review reports and proposals, such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development, for accuracy, adequacy, or adherence to policies, regulations, or scientific standards.
• Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.

Technology

• Adobe Photoshop
• Agilent Technologies GeneSpring GX
• Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST
• BioKin PlateKi
• BLAT
• Blue Tractor Software DNADynamo
• C++
• CUBIC
• Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA sequence analysis software
• EMBOSS
• EnzymeX
• ESRI ArcGIS software
• Excavator
• FASTA

Biologists salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

• Biologists Salary in CA
  Median $113,530 · Employment 11,880
• Biologists Salary in Washington, DC
  Median $114,920 · Employment 5,720
• Biologists Salary in MD
  Median $121,680 · Employment 4,970
• Biologists Salary in San Francisco, CA
  Median $138,160 · Employment 4,280
• Biologists Salary in MA
  Median $107,100 · Employment 2,930
• Biologists Salary in NC
  Median $100,070 · Employment 2,780
• Biologists Salary in Boston, MA
  Median $110,410 · Employment 2,630
• Biologists Salary in WA
  Median $108,110 · Employment 2,620
• Biologists Salary in NY
  Median $104,120 · Employment 2,520
• Biologists Salary in TX
  Median $80,870 · Employment 2,480
• Biologists Salary in Los Angeles, CA
  Median $96,380 · Employment 2,320
• Biologists Salary in New York, NY
  Median $111,380 · Employment 1,970

Related careers

• Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
  National median not published
• Environmental Restoration Planners
  National median $82,220
• Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
  National median $109,370
• Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  National median $101,420
• Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  National median $84,620
• Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
  National median $103,410
• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
  National median $82,220
• Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  National median $94,980