DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 633 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 16,920 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsView all companies hiring Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $67,795 | +31.5% | 10 | 4 |
| ITHACA, NY | $57,800 | +12.1% | 10 | 1 |
| New York, NY | $55,000 | +6.7% | 13 | 8 |
| Honolulu, HI | $51,730 | +0.4% | 17 | 4 |
| Riverside, CA | $48,958 | -5% | 18 | 4 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $70,322 | -10.6% | 12 |
| District of Columbia | $67,795 | N/A | 10 |
| Mississippi | $62,500 | -28.2% | 2 |
| Alaska | $61,339 | -27.5% | 5 |
| Arizona | $59,952 | -14.8% | 2 |
| Washington | $59,500 | -27.5% | 11 |
| Louisiana | $57,133 | -33.4% | 4 |
| Tennessee | $57,024 | -4.9% | 1 |
| California | $56,400 | -31.7% | 89 |
| Arkansas | $56,098 | -21.8% | 7 |
| Virginia | $56,077 | -15.7% | 12 |
| New York | $55,000 | N/A | 36 |
| Hawaii | $54,413 | -26.6% | 25 |
| Delaware | $53,773 | N/A | 1 |
| Maryland | $53,435 | -35.3% | 13 |
| Colorado | $52,502 | -32.1% | 10 |
| Indiana | $52,000 | -2.2% | 1 |
| Massachusetts | $51,600 | -41.7% | 15 |
| New Jersey | $51,272 | -33.7% | 7 |
| Idaho | $50,294 | -30.9% | 3 |
| Michigan | $50,000 | -36.7% | 11 |
| Texas | $50,000 | -1.2% | 13 |
| Florida | $50,000 | -2.8% | 30 |
| Kansas | $50,000 | -21% | 5 |
| New Hampshire | $50,000 | -28% | 3 |
| Georgia | $49,941 | -21.4% | 6 |
| Oregon | $48,468 | -43.1% | 11 |
| Iowa | $48,400 | -39.9% | 1 |
| Montana | $48,343 | -24.5% | 2 |
| Vermont | $48,304 | -35.9% | 2 |
| Connecticut | $48,203 | -33.1% | 8 |
| Minnesota | $47,476 | -32.7% | 7 |
| Maine | $45,000 | -32.8% | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,840 | -39.3% | 7 |
| North Carolina | $42,700 | -31.1% | 7 |
| Alabama | $41,920 | -35.4% | 5 |
| Wisconsin | $41,600 | -36.9% | 17 |
| Ohio | $41,345 | -44.9% | 4 |
| Nebraska | $40,227 | -27% | 2 |
| North Dakota | $40,000 | -51.3% | 1 |
| Kentucky | $39,907 | -29.6% | 1 |
| South Carolina | $39,894 | -35.1% | 5 |
| Missouri | $39,264 | -49.3% | 7 |
| Utah | $39,187 | -44% | 1 |
| Oklahoma | $38,542 | -32.9% | 3 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists positions, 8% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 75% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| IGATE Solutions LLC | Not specified | N/A |
| Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii | Not specified | $56,098 |
| Regents of the University of California at Riverside | Not specified | $54,228 |
| Zoological Society of San Diego | Not specified | $69,784 |
| University of California, Davis | Not specified | $64,600 |
| Smithsonian Institution | Not specified | $62,317 |
| Cornell University | Not specified | $60,000 |
| Michigan State University | Not specified | $51,542 |
| University of Minnesota | Not specified | $50,000 |
| Oregon State University | Not specified | $47,496 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is Other Services at $71,171. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $52,570.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 633 DOL filings, the median salary for a Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists is $51,542, ranging from $44,532 to $64,603.
The 90th percentile salary is $113,350 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Washington, DC offers the highest median at $67,795.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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