Marine Biologist Salary in the United States

How much does a Marine Biologist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Marine Biologist in the United States is $81,654 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

However, a Marine Biologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $97,762
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $73,296 to $90,085
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $65,688
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View as table View as graph 25% $73,296 10% $65,688 90% $97,762 75% $90,085 $81,654 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Marine Biologist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $90,085 $7,507 $1,732 $43
Average $81,654 $6,804 $1,570 $39
25th Percentile $73,296 $6,108 $1,410 $35
Check out Marine Biologist Job Openings in the United States
Chief AI Officer

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Associate Vice President Internal Communications

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Vice President Credit Risk Strategy&Data Science

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Regional Truck Driver Company

KreilKamp Trucking - Columbus, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Marine Biologist Salaries

A Marine Biologist'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 Experience Level Affects Marine Biologist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Marine Biologist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $57,817
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $66,811
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $83,395
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $120,822
  • Expert (over 8 years): $136,947
Levels Salary
Biologist... Level Marine Biologist$57,817
Biologist... Level Marine Biologist$66,811
Marine Bi... Level Marine Biologist$83,395
Biologist... Level Marine Biologist$120,822
Biologist... Level Marine Biologist$136,947
$57,817 0 yr
$66,811 < 2 yrs
$83,395 2-4 yrs
$120,822 5-8 yrs
$136,947 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Marine Biologists

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: $102,990
  • San Francisco: $101,862
  • Oakland: $99,715

What Skills Can Increase a Marine Biologist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 11.94% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Microbiology (Mentioned in 2.56% Job Postings): Microbiology (from Greek μῑκρος, mīkros, "small"; βίος, bios, "life"; and -λογία, -logia) is the study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, parasitology, mycology and bacteriology. Eukaryotic microorganisms possess membrane-bound cell organelles and include fungi and protists, whereas prokaryotic organisms—all of which are microorganisms—are conventionally classified as lacking membrane-bound organelles and include Bacteria and Archaea. Microbiologists traditionally relied on culture, staining, and microscopy. However, less than 1% of the microorganisms present in common environments can be cultured in isolation using current means. Microbiologists often rely on molecular biology tools such as DNA sequence based identification, for example 16s rRNA gene sequence used for bacteria identification.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 1.94% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 11.94%
Microbiology 2.56%
Data Analysis 1.94%
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 a Marine Biologist's salary.
  • Cell Biology: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Immunology: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Cell Biology
$97,984
20%
Immunology
$93,902
15%
Innovation
$93,085
14%
Collaboration
$92,268
13%
Cell Culture
$91,452
12%
Biochemistry
$91,452
12%
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Marine Biologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Marine Biologist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Marine Biologist positions in Retail & Wholesale or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Marine Biologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Marine Biologist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$106,150$51.030%
Financial Services$102,067$49.025%
Biotechnology$97,984$47.020%
Energy & Utilities$93,902$45.015%
Chemicals$89,819$43.010%

How Education impacts a Marine Biologist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Marine Biologists enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Marine Biologist with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $80,488 and $87,513).

Marine Biologist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Marine Biologist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.9%
High School 18.4%
Associates 0.9%
Bachelors 18.4%
Masters 44.3%
Doctorate 36.3%
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Marine Biologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Marine Biologist'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 August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Marine Biologist

Salaries for a Marine Biologist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $83,217 in 2023 to around $81,099 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Marine Biologist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Marine Biologist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$83,217
2024
$82,451
2025
$81,099
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $83,217
2024 $82,451
2025 $81,099
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Marine Biologist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Marine Biologist

Here are companies hiring for Marine Biologist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Marine Biologist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Marine Biologist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Payments Engineering. About the Company. Globally-recognized provider of corporate payment solutions. Industry. Financial Services. Type. P... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Senior Vice President of Project Delivery. About the Company. A multi-billion-dollar construction organization with collaborative, servant-minded leadershi... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Chief of Staff. About the Company. Innovative travel platform for booking & managing work trips. Industry. Computer Software. Type. Privately Held, VC-back... more

    21 Days Ago

  • McDonalds

    Columbus, OH

    McDonalds | Columbus, OH

    McDonald’s is seeking Crew Team Members to assist with daily restaurant operations including customer service, food preparation, and maintaining restaurant... more

    28 Days Ago

  • Amazon Flex

    Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex | Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex Delivery Drivers use their own vehicle to deliver Amazon packages to customers on scheduled delivery blocks. Drivers are responsible for pickin... more

    28 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Commercial. About the Company. Globally-recognized manufacturer of packaging components & delivery systems for injectable drugs. Industry. ... more

    1 Month Ago

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FAQ about Marine Biologist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Marine Biologist?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Marine Biologist roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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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