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Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management. May collect and analyze biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water habitats.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,720 | 3.1 % | $31.20 | $64,890 | 0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $18.82 | $23.25 | $29.10 | $36.69 | $47.38 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $39,150 | $48,360 | $60,520 | $76,320 | $98,540 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Government (OES Designation) | 6,600 | 0.30 | $26.73 | $55,600 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 4,110 | 0.20 | $39.18 | $81,490 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 1,550 | 0.12 | $33.13 | $68,900 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 1,290 | 0.19 | $32.58 | $67,780 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 1,160 | 0.02 | $31.57 | $65,670 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Government (OES Designation) | 6,600 | 0.30 | $26.73 | $55,600 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | 530 | 0.26 | $27.95 | $58,130 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 4,110 | 0.20 | $39.18 | $81,490 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 1,290 | 0.19 | $32.58 | $67,780 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 1,550 | 0.12 | $33.13 | $68,900 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 4,110 | 0.20 | $39.18 | $81,490 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 110 | (7) | $37.31 | $77,610 |
| Employment Services | 40 | (7) | $33.89 | $70,490 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 1,550 | 0.12 | $33.13 | $68,900 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 1,290 | 0.19 | $32.58 | $67,780 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,200 | 0.14 | 1.09 | $32.83 | $68,280 |
| Washington | 1,990 | 0.65 | 5.14 | $33.46 | $69,590 |
| Florida | 1,750 | 0.21 | 1.69 | $25.41 | $52,850 |
| Oregon | 920 | 0.51 | 4.08 | $33.75 | $70,210 |
| Alaska | 730 | 2.26 | 17.88 | $36.59 | $76,120 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 730 | 2.26 | 17.88 | $36.59 | $76,120 |
| Wyoming | 320 | 1.16 | 9.21 | $29.03 | $60,380 |
| Idaho | 580 | 0.87 | 6.92 | $30.68 | $63,810 |
| Montana | 310 | 0.67 | 5.34 | $29.66 | $61,690 |
| Washington | 1,990 | 0.65 | 5.14 | $33.46 | $69,590 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 90 | 0.13 | 1.04 | $51.36 | $106,820 |
| Maryland | 430 | 0.16 | 1.30 | $45.32 | $94,270 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 0.09 | 0.71 | $41.63 | $86,590 |
| Connecticut | (8) | (8) | (8) | $41.06 | $85,410 |
| Massachusetts | 260 | 0.08 | 0.60 | $40.07 | $83,340 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 760 | 0.48 | 3.79 | $38.26 | $79,590 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 560 | 0.44 | 3.48 | $26.42 | $54,960 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 470 | 0.34 | 2.71 | $33.67 | $70,040 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 310 | 0.28 | 2.19 | $37.22 | $77,410 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 290 | 0.15 | 1.19 | $28.34 | $58,940 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA | 280 | 2.67 | 21.12 | $30.83 | $64,130 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 260 | 0.44 | 3.49 | $46.34 | $96,380 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | 250 | 0.28 | 2.19 | $32.27 | $67,130 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 240 | 0.10 | 0.78 | $46.31 | $96,320 |
| Boise City, ID | 240 | 0.81 | 6.43 | $32.23 | $67,040 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corvallis, OR | 120 | 3.73 | 29.52 | $32.57 | $67,750 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA | 280 | 2.67 | 21.12 | $30.83 | $64,130 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | 40 | 1.51 | 11.98 | $27.00 | $56,170 |
| Wenatchee, WA | 60 | 1.41 | 11.18 | $32.50 | $67,590 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 30 | 1.24 | 9.83 | (8) | (8) |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 120 | 1.20 | 9.53 | $45.37 | $94,380 |
| Anchorage, AK | 200 | 1.11 | 8.79 | $35.97 | $74,820 |
| Bangor, ME | 70 | 1.01 | 8.02 | $28.24 | $58,740 |
| Gainesville, FL | 120 | 0.97 | 7.66 | $25.89 | $53,860 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 140 | 0.86 | 6.80 | $23.92 | $49,760 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS | 40 | 0.26 | 2.09 | $48.06 | $99,960 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 260 | 0.44 | 3.49 | $46.34 | $96,380 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 240 | 0.10 | 0.78 | $46.31 | $96,320 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 120 | 1.20 | 9.53 | $45.37 | $94,380 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $44.28 | $92,100 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division | 70 | 0.06 | 0.51 | $42.79 | $89,010 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 70 | 0.05 | 0.40 | $42.09 | $87,540 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 40 | 0.08 | 0.62 | $41.41 | $86,140 |
| Logan, UT-ID | 40 | 0.72 | 5.72 | $41.08 | $85,440 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 80 | 0.03 | 0.22 | $40.52 | $84,280 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 3.19 | 25.31 | $35.88 | $74,640 |
| Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 1.05 | 8.30 | $30.21 | $62,830 |
| Southwest Washington nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 2.08 | 16.51 | $29.47 | $61,290 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 0.67 | 5.32 | $28.97 | $60,260 |
| East Washington nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 1.97 | 15.62 | $25.72 | $53,500 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 3.19 | 25.31 | $35.88 | $74,640 |
| Central Washington nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 2.56 | 20.26 | $30.49 | $63,420 |
| Southwest Washington nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 2.08 | 16.51 | $29.47 | $61,290 |
| East Washington nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 1.97 | 15.62 | $25.72 | $53,500 |
| Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 110 | 1.83 | 14.50 | $32.00 | $66,560 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.70 | 5.51 | $37.64 | $78,290 |
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 3.19 | 25.31 | $35.88 | $74,640 |
| South Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.48 | 3.81 | $33.82 | $70,340 |
| Panhandle of Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.78 | 6.18 | $33.81 | $70,320 |
| Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.81 | 6.39 | $32.85 | $68,330 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017