Biologist Salary and Benefits

A marine biologist dedicates his/her life to the study of aquatic organisms and their interactions with their environment as well as their behaviors. Marine biology is considered to be one of the most comprehensive fields within oceanography. Due to the fact that there are numerous topics of study within marine biology, many people entering this field of work choose a particular area to specialize in. These specializations can be based on a species, organism, a set of behaviors or a particular type of eco-system. For example, a marine biologist may choose to study one species of fish or all fish that are native to a climate or region on the planet.

According to PayScale – a market leader in global online compensation data, the salary a marine biologist earns per year can range from $29,748 for someone with less than a year’s worth of experience up to $90,010 for a marine biologist with over twenty years’ worth of experience working in the field. It is important to understand that the salary of a marine biologist varies depending upon geographic location, job type, experience and level of education received. This data was last updated by PayScale on May 11, 2010 and is based on the individual reporting of 200 marine biologists.

Marine biologists who work for private research firms and government agencies are those who earn the most money. These individuals also enjoy a high level of job security, many advancement opportunities and a high degree of independence in their work. The supply of marine biologists unfortunately exceeds the demand, resulting in few open federal jobs. Work can be found however at aquariums, inside local governments, colleges/ universities and private research facilities.

Marine biologists working for elite research institutions earn more than those who are working for smaller research companies. The research work done within this field is typically funded by the government and large private sector institutions. These funds are therefore often limited. For instance, during times of war or during a weakened state of the economy, this funding can be difficult to obtain. Currently the US is involved militarily in the Middle East and the US economy is on shaky ground. Both of these occurrences have made this particular time in history not the best time for those marine biologists who are counting on receiving grant money from the feds to fund their work and salaries.