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Marine Biologist Salary in the United States

How much does a Marine Biologist make in the United States? The salary range for a Marine Biologist job is from $70,230 to $96,019 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Marine Biologist job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

Average base salary
updated at March 01, 2025
$82,574
Per Year
The average salary for a Marine Biologist is $82,574
per Year in the United States.
Individually reported data submitted by users of our website

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Base Salary
$70,230
$82,574
Medium
$96,019

Highest Paying Cities for Marine Biologist in the United States

Marine Biologist salaries in the United States will pay differently by cities. Below following are the eight cities with the highest income for Marine Biologist jobs in the United States. The city with the highest salary is San Jose. Click on the Marine Biologist salary in cities you are interested in to view detailed job salary information.

States with Higher Salaries for Marine Biologist

The five states where Marine Biologist jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Massachusetts. Compared with the average salary of a Marine Biologist in the United States, the state of District of Columbia with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and New Jersey respectively. The high or low salary paid to Marine Biologist by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.

How Much Do Similar Professions Get Paid in the United States?

There are some different titles for Marine Biologist jobs, and the job title of Marine Biologist will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Marine Biologist, start to view Marine Biologist-related jobs you are interested in.
Field Marine Biologist Observer
Average salary
United States
$86,256
per Year
Entry Biologist
Average salary
United States
$58,500
per Year
Senior Biologist
Average salary
United States
$85,200
per Year
Intermediate Biologist
Average salary
United States
$68,800
per Year
Specialist Biologist
Average salary
United States
$118,600
per Year
Expert Biologist
Average salary
United States
$128,700
per Year

How Much Should You Be Earning?

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What Does a Marine Biologist Do?

Depending on your degree program, the length of time it will take you to become a marine biologist will vary.

December 22, 2021

As the options are not as plentiful in high school as they are in secondary school, certainly make sure to remain in the STEM field, but do not worry too much about marine biologist education requirements at this stage.

December 21, 2021

Some careers may require marine biologists to scuba dive, so familiarizing yourself with snorkel and SCUBA equipment would be a good idea as well.

December 21, 2021

The development of technology such as sound navigation ranging, scuba diving gear, submersibles and remotely operated vehicles allowed marine biologists to discover and explore life in deep oceans that was once thought to not exist.

December 19, 2021

The question of how to be a marine biologist can be wrought with lots of confusion, but this complete guide can help you understand more about becoming a marine biologist.

December 16, 2021

Most Common Benefits for Marine Biologist

Social Security
Healthcare
401(k)
Pension
Disability
Time Off (days)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about salaries for a Marine Biologist
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Depending on your degree program, the length of time it will take you to become a marine biologist will vary.
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Check the below career pages for detailed pay ranges for similar professions to Marine Biologist:
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The highest Marine Biologist salary is $96,019, while the lowest is $70,230 in the United States.
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