Zoologist / Wildlife Biologist
Health Science
Study animals in the lab and the field — track populations, protect habitats and inform conservation policy.
Why it matters here: Federal agencies, the Smithsonian and Chesapeake Bay conservation groups hire across the region.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level Zoologist / Wildlife BiologistLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$56,680
- Zoologist / Wildlife Biologist (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$76,520
- Senior / Lead Zoologist / Wildlife BiologistOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$98,100
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$117,720
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Split between field seasons outdoors and office analysis
Where you work
Wetlands, forests and field stations plus offices and labs.
Hours and schedule
Field seasons follow animal activity — early mornings and irregular hours; office time is standard.
Pace and pressure
Seasonal intensity in the field, steadier analysis and writing periods.
Who you work with
Research teams, park staff, agency scientists and volunteers.
Physical demands
Hiking, carrying gear and working in weather.
What people wear
Field clothes outdoors; casual in the office.
Remote reality
Analysis and writing can be remote; fieldwork cannot.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Permits and animal-welfare rules shape every study design.
- Grant cycles drive much of the employment landscape.
- Fieldwork builds tight-knit crews.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Data unavailable for this category.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
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