What are the main factors that influence an Aquatic Ecologist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

What industry pays the highest salary for Aquatic Ecologist?

The Government industry offers the highest average compensation for Aquatic Ecologist roles, with salaries approximately 5% above the market median.

How does experience change An Aquatic Ecologist's salary?

An Aquatic Ecologist's salary grows with experience: an Aquatic Ecologist (0-0 years)earns $62,940, an Asst. Professor - English (0-0 years)earns $71,026, an Assoc. Professor - English (0-0 years)earns $82,480, a Professor - English (0-0 years)earns $104,656,

What are the highest paying states for an Aquatic Ecologist?

Aquatic Ecologist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Aquatic Ecologist roles are District of Columbia $67,581, California $67,325, Massachusetts $66,428. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Aquatic Ecologist roles make?

Salaries for Aquatic Ecologist level roles vary by specialization: Senior Ecologist: $84,277; Research Ecologist: $74,501; Ecologist: $73,276; Restoration Ecologist: $60,803; Forest Ecologist: $59,614.

How do different companies affect an Aquatic Ecologist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Aquatic Ecologist roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Aquatic Ecologist Salary in the United States

How much does an Aquatic Ecologist make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Aquatic Ecologist in the United States is $61,038 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, an Aquatic Ecologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,525
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $51,907 to $69,145
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $43,594

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Aquatic Ecologist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,145	$5,762	$1,330	$33
Average	$61,038	$5,086	$1,174	$29
25th Percentile	$51,907	$4,326	$998	$25

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Key Factors That Influence Aquatic Ecologist Salaries

An Aquatic Ecologist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Aquatic Ecologist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Aquatic Ecologists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $67,581.
California: $67,325.
Massachusetts: $66,428.

District of Columbia $67,581 California $67,325 Massachusetts $66,428 Washington $66,183 New Jersey $66,159 Alaska $66,074 Connecticut $65,231 New York $64,889

Hawaii $63,797 Rhode Island $63,284 Maryland $62,936 Minnesota $62,460 Colorado $62,277 Illinois $62,216 Oregon $61,984 Delaware $61,813

New Hampshire $61,706 Virginia $61,465 Pennsylvania $60,763 Nevada $60,409 North Dakota $60,293 Michigan $60,110 Wisconsin $60,043 Vermont $59,909

Texas $59,536 Maine $59,512 Arizona $59,475 Ohio $59,433 Georgia $58,871 Indiana $58,590 Wyoming $58,535 Utah $58,450

Iowa $58,413 Kansas $58,120 Louisiana $58,035 North Carolina $58,004 Missouri $57,992 Florida $57,754 Montana $57,626 Nebraska $57,504

Kentucky $57,437 South Carolina $57,193 Tennessee $57,040 Idaho $56,979 New Mexico $56,533 Oklahoma $56,436 Alabama $56,076 South Dakota $55,471

Arkansas $55,142 West Virginia $54,965 Mississippi $54,434

Top Paying Cities for Aquatic Ecologists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $76,987
San Francisco: $76,144
Oakland: $74,539

San Jose, CA $76,987

San Francisco, CA $76,144

Oakland, CA $74,539

New York, NY $70,278

Paramus, NJ $69,424

Queens Village, NY $69,421

Passaic, NJ $69,363

Bergenfield, NJ $69,357

Stamford, CT $69,223

Huntington, NY $69,198

Newark, NJ $68,747

Bridgeport, CT $68,618

Vallejo, CA $68,497

New Brunswick, NJ $68,472

Petaluma, CA $68,436

Middlesex, NJ $68,320

Somerset, NJ $68,277

Santa Cruz, CA $68,198

Boston, MA $67,825

Monterey, CA $67,611

Seattle, WA $67,471

Santa Rosa, CA $67,459

Los Angeles, CA $67,441

Juneau, AK $67,282

Washington, DC $67,215

Orange, CA $66,998

Santa Ana, CA $66,837

Long Beach, CA $66,775

Anaheim, CA $66,763

Anchorage, AK $66,733

Santa Maria, CA $66,550

Everett, WA $66,537

Danbury, CT $66,323

Bremerton, WA $66,238

Tacoma, WA $66,019

New Suffolk, NY $66,017

Sacramento, CA $66,000

Santa Barbara, CA $65,933

Trenton, NJ $65,866

San Diego, CA $65,866

Brockton, MA $65,799

Fairbanks, AK $65,649

Lompoc, CA $65,494

Lowell, MA $65,444

Ventura, CA $65,433

Nashua, NH $65,420

Stockton, CA $65,414

Modesto, CA $64,969

Poughkeepsie, NY $64,834

Olympia, WA $64,718

Kennewick, WA $64,718

New Haven, CT $64,694

Lawrence, MA $64,474

Hartford, CT $64,413

Riverside, CA $64,401

New Bedford, MA $64,340

Richland, WA $64,340

Bakersfield, CA $64,255

San Bernardino, CA $64,230

New Britain, CT $64,224

Atlantic City, NJ $64,224

New London, CT $64,200

Norwich, CT $64,181

Portsmouth, NH $64,169

Boulder, CO $64,040

Portland, OR $63,956

Worcester, MA $63,949

Minneapolis, MN $63,760

Philadelphia, PA $63,675

Honolulu, HI $63,473

Saint Paul, MN $63,444

Vineland, NJ $63,431

Providence, RI $63,254

Chicago, IL $63,077

Bellingham, WA $63,003

Springfield, MA $62,954

Baltimore, MD $62,936

Chico, CA $62,784

Pittsfield, MA $62,619

Manchester, NH $62,503

Spokane, WA $62,234

Denver, CO $62,228

Albany, NY $61,941

Troy, NY $61,917

Nassau, NY $61,852

Schenectady, NY $61,789

Wilmington, DE $61,740

Burlington, VT $61,654

Salem, OR $61,630

Portland, ME $61,441

Yakima, WA $61,380

Rochester, MN $61,190

Reno, NV $61,160

Fresno, CA $61,160

Milwaukee, WI $61,105

Detroit, MI $61,044

Ann Arbor, MI $61,034

Allentown, PA $61,026

Colorado Springs, CO $60,922

Syracuse, NY $60,891

Carson City, NV $60,891

Houston, TX $60,806

Eugene, OR $60,775

Gary, IN $60,702

Springfield, OR $60,653

Bismarck, ND $60,641

Galveston, TX $60,598

Medford, OR $60,507

Fort Collins, CO $60,482

Concord, NH $60,452

Austin, TX $60,434

Mesa, AZ $60,305

Reading, PA $60,299

Phoenix, AZ $60,293

Dallas, TX $60,275

Saint Cloud, MN $60,216

Madison, WI $60,135

Utica, NY $59,970

Rochester, NY $59,872

Des Moines, IA $59,866

Raleigh, NC $59,860

Atlanta, GA $59,768

Battle Creek, MI $59,750

Salt Lake City, UT $59,732

Lancaster, PA $59,640

Harrisburg, PA $59,555

Kansas City, MO $59,494

Champaign, IL $59,481

Kansas City, KS $59,481

Fort Worth, TX $59,475

Columbus, OH $59,465

Boca Raton, FL $59,451

Pittsburgh, PA $59,426

Richmond, VA $59,402

Indianapolis, IN $59,390

Cleveland, OH $59,384

Las Vegas, NV $59,311

Cincinnati, OH $59,311

Petersburg, VA $59,219

Huntsville, AL $59,127

Lansing, MI $59,087

Lebanon, PA $59,079

Pueblo, CO $59,072

Appleton, WI $59,054

Buffalo, NY $59,030

Dayton, OH $59,011

Racine, WI $58,999

Charlotte, NC $58,993

Saint Louis, MO $58,975

York, PA $58,938

Elkhart, IN $58,938

Gastonia, NC $58,927

Billings, MT $58,912

Beaumont, TX $58,895

Lorain, OH $58,883

Benton Harbor, MI $58,871

Toledo, OH $58,859

Binghamton, NY $58,828

Rock Hill, SC $58,822

Rockford, IL $58,792

Springfield, IL $58,767

Elyria, OH $58,761

Fargo, ND $58,761

Flagstaff, AZ $58,718

Fort Lauderdale, FL $58,682

Duluth, MN $58,645

Miami, FL $58,645

Cheyenne, WY $58,602

Grand Forks, ND $58,602

Bangor, ME $58,468

Cedar Rapids, IA $58,401

Durham, NC $58,375

Louisville, KY $58,371

Grand Rapids, MI $58,358

Hialeah, FL $58,352

Casper, WY $58,267

Scranton, PA $58,194

New Orleans, LA $58,175

Virginia Beach, VA $58,169

Akron, OH $58,139

Peoria, IL $58,059

Sarasota, FL $58,047

Nashville, TN $58,004

Omaha, NE $58,004

Green Bay, WI $58,004

Baton Rouge, LA $57,974

Charleston, SC $57,962

Jamestown, NY $57,931

Davenport, IA $57,931

Tucson, AZ $57,901

Saint Petersburg, FL $57,864

Tampa, FL $57,852

Evansville, IN $57,815

Port Arthur, TX $57,815

Bradenton, FL $57,791

Santa Fe, NM $57,681

Orlando, FL $57,571

Clearwater, FL $57,553

Canton, OH $57,424

La Crosse, WI $57,424

Albuquerque, NM $57,388

Newport News, VA $57,382

High Point, NC $57,363

Ogden, UT $57,339

Corpus Christi, TX $57,290

Norfolk, VA $57,254

Laramie, WY $57,254

Rock Island, IL $57,217

Saginaw, MI $57,205

Jacksonville, FL $57,199

Salisbury, NC $57,186

Boise, ID $57,174

Moline, IL $57,144

Fort Myers, FL $57,125

Memphis, TN $57,113

Tulsa, OK $57,083

Waterloo, IA $57,046

Spartanburg, SC $56,985

Lincoln, NE $56,954

Fort Wayne, IN $56,942

Provo, UT $56,936

Cedar Falls, IA $56,863

San Antonio, TX $56,838

Greensboro, NC $56,814

South Bend, IN $56,808

Savannah, GA $56,741

Muskegon, MI $56,716

Birmingham, AL $56,710

Winston Salem, NC $56,680

Lake Charles, LA $56,533

Anderson, IN $56,521

Lexington, KY $56,503

Augusta, GA $56,484

Greenville, SC $56,484

Lima, OH $56,436

Wichita, KS $56,430

Tuscaloosa, AL $56,430

Columbia, SC $56,375

Springfield, OH $56,362

Asheville, NC $56,265

Bloomington, IN $56,222

Knoxville, TN $56,002

Shreveport, LA $55,996

Wilmington, NC $55,917

Roanoke, VA $55,917

Topeka, KS $55,807

Frankfort, KY $55,800

Oklahoma City, OK $55,758

Chillicothe, OH $55,734

Longview, TX $55,728

Melbourne, FL $55,721

Sioux Falls, SD $55,624

Mobile, AL $55,618

Terre Haute, IN $55,593

Altoona, PA $55,557

Amarillo, TX $55,514

Killeen, TX $55,496

Fayetteville, AR $55,447

Chattanooga, TN $55,429

Sioux City, IA $55,374

Idaho Falls, ID $55,361

Lynchburg, VA $55,313

Gainesville, FL $55,233

Portsmouth, OH $55,203

Little Rock, AR $55,190

Lafayette, LA $55,166

Youngstown, OH $55,166

Daytona Beach, FL $55,129

Clarksville, TN $55,123

Pensacola, FL $55,117

Temple, TX $55,113

Hopkinsville, KY $54,934

Erie, PA $54,922

Florence, SC $54,897

Charleston, WV $54,800

Great Falls, MT $54,769

Macon, GA $54,684

Tallahassee, FL $54,678

Fayetteville, NC $54,666

Waco, TX $54,653

Helena, MT $54,611

Pine Bluff, AR $54,587

Vincennes, IN $54,513

Lubbock, TX $54,489

Alamogordo, NM $54,452

Twin Falls, ID $54,397

Rapid City, SD $54,379

Jackson, MS $54,269

Huntington, WV $54,265

Greenville, MS $54,263

Parkersburg, WV $54,200

Montgomery, AL $54,189

Wichita Falls, TX $54,128

Springfield, MO $54,128

Biloxi, MS $54,098

Monroe, LA $54,037

Johnstown, PA $53,994

Sumter, SC $53,970

Columbus, GA $53,964

Pascagoula, MS $53,848

Abilene, TX $53,848

Kingsport, TN $53,689

Albany, GA $53,689

Gulfport, MS $53,671

Alexandria, LA $53,469

Fort Smith, AR $53,317

El Paso, TX $53,152

Las Cruces, NM $52,877

Harlingen, TX $52,722

Pocatello, ID $52,712

Florence, AL $52,633

Brownsville, TX $52,621

Mcallen, TX $52,493

Dothan, AL $52,407

Columbus, MS $52,045

Altus, OK $51,760

Lawton, OK $51,644

Pierre, SD $51,424

What Skills Can Increase an Aquatic Ecologist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 11.66% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
Law Enforcement (Mentioned in 1.33% Job Postings): Law enforcement is any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. Although the term encompasses entities such as courts and prisons, it is most frequently applied to those who directly engage in patrols or surveillance to dissuade and discover criminal activity, and those who investigate crimes and apprehend offenders, a task typically carried out by the police or another law enforcement organization. Furthermore, although law enforcement may be most concerned with the prevention and punishment of crimes, organizations exist to discourage a wide variety of non-criminal violations of rules and norms, effected through the imposition of less severe consequences.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	11.66%
Microsoft Office	2%
Law Enforcement	1.33%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Aquatic Ecologist's salary.

Team Management: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
Pediatric: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Chemistry: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Team Management	$73,245	20%
Pediatric	$68,973	13%
Chemistry	$66,531	9%
Safety Standards	$64,090	5%
Programming	$63,479	4%
Coaching	$63,479	4%

Get Latest Data

Aquatic Ecologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Aquatic Ecologist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 15% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Government, offers compensation 5% above the average. Conversely, Aquatic Ecologist positions in Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Aquatic Ecologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an Aquatic Ecologist

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Government	$64,090	$31.0	5%

How Education impacts an Aquatic Ecologist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Aquatic Ecologists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Aquatic Ecologist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $48,774 and $55,600).

Aquatic Ecologist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Aquatic Ecologist

No Diploma 0.4%

High School 0.4%

Associates 0.9%

Bachelors 23.4%

Masters 68.1%

Doctorate 6.8%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.4%
High School	0.4%
Associates	0.9%
Bachelors	23.4%
Masters	68.1%
Doctorate	6.8%

view as graph

Aquatic Ecologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Aquatic Ecologist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

$51,907

Average $61,038/year

$69,145

$4,326

Average $5,086/month

$5,762

$998

Average $1,174/week

$1,330

$25

Average $29/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,145	$5,762	$1,330	$33
Average	$61,038	$5,086	$1,174	$29
25th Percentile	$51,907	$4,326	$998	$25

Salaries of jobs related to Aquatic Ecologist

Salary Trends for Aquatic Ecologist

Salaries for an Aquatic Ecologist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $57,246 in 2023 to around $55,295 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Aquatic Ecologist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Aquatic Ecologist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$57,246

2024

$56,515

2025

$55,295

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$57,246
2024	$56,515
2025	$55,295
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Aquatic Ecologist

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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