How much does a Marine Scientist make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Marine Scientist in the United States is $80,506 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a Marine Scientist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $93,350
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $74,064 to $87,229
Key Factors That Influence Marine Scientist Salaries
A Marine Scientist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Marine Scientist 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 Marine Scientists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $101,542
San Francisco: $100,430
Oakland: $98,313
San Jose, CA$101,542
San Francisco, CA$100,430
Oakland, CA$98,313
New York, NY$92,693
Paramus, NJ$91,566
Queens Village, NY$91,562
Passaic, NJ$91,486
Bergenfield, NJ$91,478
Stamford, CT$91,301
Huntington, NY$91,268
Newark, NJ$90,673
Bridgeport, CT$90,503
Vallejo, CA$90,343
New Brunswick, NJ$90,311
Petaluma, CA$90,263
Middlesex, NJ$90,110
Somerset, NJ$90,053
Santa Cruz, CA$89,949
Boston, MA$89,458
Monterey, CA$89,175
Seattle, WA$88,991
Santa Rosa, CA$88,975
Los Angeles, CA$88,951
Juneau, AK$88,741
Washington, DC$88,653
Orange, CA$88,366
Santa Ana, CA$88,154
Long Beach, CA$88,073
Anaheim, CA$88,057
Anchorage, AK$88,017
Santa Maria, CA$87,775
Everett, WA$87,759
Danbury, CT$87,476
Bremerton, WA$87,365
Tacoma, WA$87,075
New Suffolk, NY$87,073
Sacramento, CA$87,051
Santa Barbara, CA$86,962
Trenton, NJ$86,873
San Diego, CA$86,873
Brockton, MA$86,785
Fairbanks, AK$86,588
Lompoc, CA$86,382
Lowell, MA$86,317
Ventura, CA$86,302
Nashua, NH$86,286
Stockton, CA$86,278
Modesto, CA$85,690
Poughkeepsie, NY$85,513
Olympia, WA$85,360
Kennewick, WA$85,360
New Haven, CT$85,328
Lawrence, MA$85,038
Hartford, CT$84,957
Riverside, CA$84,941
New Bedford, MA$84,861
Richland, WA$84,861
Bakersfield, CA$84,748
San Bernardino, CA$84,716
New Britain, CT$84,708
Atlantic City, NJ$84,708
New London, CT$84,676
Norwich, CT$84,652
Portsmouth, NH$84,635
Boulder, CO$84,465
Portland, OR$84,354
Worcester, MA$84,346
Minneapolis, MN$84,096
Philadelphia, PA$83,983
Honolulu, HI$83,718
Saint Paul, MN$83,679
Vineland, NJ$83,661
Providence, RI$83,428
Chicago, IL$83,194
Bellingham, WA$83,098
Springfield, MA$83,033
Baltimore, MD$83,009
Chico, CA$82,808
Pittsfield, MA$82,591
Manchester, NH$82,438
Spokane, WA$82,083
Denver, CO$82,075
Albany, NY$81,697
Troy, NY$81,665
Nassau, NY$81,579
Schenectady, NY$81,496
Wilmington, DE$81,431
Burlington, VT$81,319
Salem, OR$81,286
Portland, ME$81,037
Yakima, WA$80,956
Rochester, MN$80,707
Reno, NV$80,667
Fresno, CA$80,667
Milwaukee, WI$80,594
Detroit, MI$80,514
Ann Arbor, MI$80,500
Allentown, PA$80,489
Colorado Springs, CO$80,353
Syracuse, NY$80,312
Carson City, NV$80,312
Houston, TX$80,200
Eugene, OR$80,159
Gary, IN$80,063
Springfield, OR$79,998
Bismarck, ND$79,982
Galveston, TX$79,926
Medford, OR$79,805
Fort Collins, CO$79,773
Concord, NH$79,733
Austin, TX$79,708
Mesa, AZ$79,539
Reading, PA$79,531
Phoenix, AZ$79,523
Dallas, TX$79,499
Saint Cloud, MN$79,422
Madison, WI$79,314
Utica, NY$79,097
Rochester, NY$78,968
Des Moines, IA$78,960
Raleigh, NC$78,952
Atlanta, GA$78,831
Battle Creek, MI$78,807
Salt Lake City, UT$78,783
Lancaster, PA$78,662
Harrisburg, PA$78,549
Kansas City, MO$78,469
Champaign, IL$78,453
Kansas City, KS$78,453
Fort Worth, TX$78,445
Columbus, OH$78,431
Boca Raton, FL$78,412
Pittsburgh, PA$78,380
Richmond, VA$78,348
Indianapolis, IN$78,332
Cleveland, OH$78,324
Las Vegas, NV$78,227
Cincinnati, OH$78,227
Petersburg, VA$78,106
Huntsville, AL$77,986
Lansing, MI$77,932
Lebanon, PA$77,921
Pueblo, CO$77,913
Appleton, WI$77,889
Buffalo, NY$77,857
Dayton, OH$77,833
Racine, WI$77,817
Charlotte, NC$77,809
Saint Louis, MO$77,784
York, PA$77,736
Elkhart, IN$77,736
Gastonia, NC$77,721
Billings, MT$77,701
Beaumont, TX$77,680
Lorain, OH$77,664
Benton Harbor, MI$77,648
Toledo, OH$77,631
Binghamton, NY$77,591
Rock Hill, SC$77,583
Rockford, IL$77,543
Springfield, IL$77,511
Elyria, OH$77,503
Fargo, ND$77,503
Flagstaff, AZ$77,446
Fort Lauderdale, FL$77,398
Duluth, MN$77,350
Miami, FL$77,350
Cheyenne, WY$77,293
Grand Forks, ND$77,293
Bangor, ME$77,116
Cedar Rapids, IA$77,028
Durham, NC$76,994
Louisville, KY$76,987
Grand Rapids, MI$76,971
Hialeah, FL$76,963
Casper, WY$76,851
Scranton, PA$76,754
New Orleans, LA$76,730
Virginia Beach, VA$76,722
Akron, OH$76,681
Peoria, IL$76,577
Sarasota, FL$76,561
Nashville, TN$76,504
Omaha, NE$76,504
Green Bay, WI$76,504
Baton Rouge, LA$76,464
Charleston, SC$76,448
Jamestown, NY$76,408
Davenport, IA$76,408
Tucson, AZ$76,368
Saint Petersburg, FL$76,319
Tampa, FL$76,303
Evansville, IN$76,255
Port Arthur, TX$76,255
Bradenton, FL$76,223
Santa Fe, NM$76,078
Orlando, FL$75,933
Clearwater, FL$75,909
Canton, OH$75,740
La Crosse, WI$75,740
Albuquerque, NM$75,691
Newport News, VA$75,683
High Point, NC$75,659
Ogden, UT$75,627
Corpus Christi, TX$75,562
Norfolk, VA$75,514
Laramie, WY$75,514
Rock Island, IL$75,466
Saginaw, MI$75,450
Jacksonville, FL$75,442
Salisbury, NC$75,426
Boise, ID$75,410
Moline, IL$75,369
Fort Myers, FL$75,345
Memphis, TN$75,329
Tulsa, OK$75,289
Waterloo, IA$75,240
Spartanburg, SC$75,160
Lincoln, NE$75,120
Fort Wayne, IN$75,104
Provo, UT$75,096
Cedar Falls, IA$74,999
San Antonio, TX$74,967
Greensboro, NC$74,935
South Bend, IN$74,926
Savannah, GA$74,838
Muskegon, MI$74,806
Birmingham, AL$74,798
Winston Salem, NC$74,758
Lake Charles, LA$74,564
Anderson, IN$74,548
Lexington, KY$74,524
Augusta, GA$74,500
Greenville, SC$74,500
Lima, OH$74,435
Wichita, KS$74,427
Tuscaloosa, AL$74,427
Columbia, SC$74,355
Springfield, OH$74,339
Asheville, NC$74,210
Bloomington, IN$74,154
Knoxville, TN$73,864
Shreveport, LA$73,856
Wilmington, NC$73,751
Roanoke, VA$73,751
Topeka, KS$73,606
Frankfort, KY$73,597
Oklahoma City, OK$73,542
Chillicothe, OH$73,510
Longview, TX$73,502
Melbourne, FL$73,493
Sioux Falls, SD$73,365
Mobile, AL$73,357
Terre Haute, IN$73,324
Altoona, PA$73,276
Amarillo, TX$73,220
Killeen, TX$73,196
Fayetteville, AR$73,131
Chattanooga, TN$73,107
Sioux City, IA$73,035
Idaho Falls, ID$73,018
Lynchburg, VA$72,954
Gainesville, FL$72,849
Portsmouth, OH$72,809
Little Rock, AR$72,793
Lafayette, LA$72,761
Youngstown, OH$72,761
Daytona Beach, FL$72,713
Clarksville, TN$72,705
Pensacola, FL$72,696
Temple, TX$72,691
Hopkinsville, KY$72,455
Erie, PA$72,439
Florence, SC$72,407
Charleston, WV$72,278
Great Falls, MT$72,238
Macon, GA$72,125
Tallahassee, FL$72,117
Fayetteville, NC$72,101
Waco, TX$72,085
Helena, MT$72,028
Pine Bluff, AR$71,998
Vincennes, IN$71,899
Lubbock, TX$71,867
Alamogordo, NM$71,819
Twin Falls, ID$71,747
Rapid City, SD$71,722
Jackson, MS$71,577
Huntington, WV$71,572
Greenville, MS$71,569
Parkersburg, WV$71,487
Montgomery, AL$71,473
Wichita Falls, TX$71,392
Springfield, MO$71,392
Biloxi, MS$71,352
Monroe, LA$71,272
Johnstown, PA$71,215
Sumter, SC$71,183
Columbus, GA$71,175
Pascagoula, MS$71,022
Abilene, TX$71,022
Kingsport, TN$70,813
Albany, GA$70,813
Gulfport, MS$70,788
Alexandria, LA$70,523
Fort Smith, AR$70,322
El Paso, TX$70,104
Las Cruces, NM$69,742
Harlingen, TX$69,537
Pocatello, ID$69,525
Florence, AL$69,420
Brownsville, TX$69,404
Mcallen, TX$69,235
Dothan, AL$69,122
Columbus, MS$68,644
Altus, OK$68,269
Lawton, OK$68,116
Pierre, SD$67,826
What Skills Can Increase a Marine Scientist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 7.15% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Construction Management (Mentioned in 3.36% Job Postings): Construction management (CM) is a professional service that uses specialized, project management techniques to oversee the planning, design, and construction of a project, from its beginning to its end. The purpose of CM is to control a project's time / delivery, cost and quality—sometimes referred to as a project management triangle or "triple constraints." CM is compatible with all project delivery systems, including design-bid-build, design-build, CM At-Risk and Public Private Partnerships. Professional construction managers may be reserved for lengthy, large-scale, high budget undertakings (commercial real estate, transportation infrastructure, industrial facilities, and military infrastructure), called capital projects.
Safety Standards (Mentioned in 2.36% Job Postings): Safety standards are designed to ensure the safety of products, activities and processes, etc. They may be advisory or compulsory and are normally laid down by an advisory or regulatory body that may be either voluntary or statutory.
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 Scientist's salary.
Building Codes: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Marine Scientist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Marine Scientist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 90% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Construction
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Marine Scientist positions in MFG Durable or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Marine Scientist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Marine Scientist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities
$112,708
$54.0
40%
Construction
$104,657
$50.0
30%
How Education impacts a Marine Scientist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Marine Scientists 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 a Marine Scientist with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$79,749
and $86,024).
Marine Scientist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Marine Scientist'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.
Salaries for a Marine Scientist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $89,756 in 2023
to around $87,018 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Marine Scientist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Marine Scientist Over Time
$???
$89,756
$87,705
$87,018
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$89,756
2024
$87,705
2025
$87,018
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Marine Scientist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Marine Scientist
Here are companies hiring for Marine Scientist and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
Find Your Next Marine Scientist Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Marine Scientist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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FAQ about Marine Scientist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Marine Scientist?
The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Marine Scientist roles,
with salaries approximately 40% 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.
