Field Biologist
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Studies plants and animals in their natural environments or studies plant and animal ecosystems. Conducts field research, collects observations and analyzes data. May direct research for environmental assessments or research for agricultural products.
Job Outlook
There were 10 Field Biologist job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 601 in the United States.
In combination with other careers in the Biologist industry, which includes the Field Biologist career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2012:
Salary
Many new Field Biologist jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.
National
The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $57,435.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $49,965.
Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Field Biologist postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $50,815.
Education and Experience
Posted Field Biologist jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | 0% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 72% |
| Master's Degree | 28% |
| Doctoral Degree | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
Posted Field Biologist jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Years of Experience | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 39% |
| 3 to 5 years | 40% |
| 6 to 8 years | 10% |
| 9+ years | 11% |
Skills
Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Field Biologist positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.
Baseline Skills
A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.
- Communication Skills (66%)
- Writing (48%)
- Planning (36%)
- Research (36%)
- Detail-Oriented (36%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Field Surveys (100%)
- Biology (96%)
- Environmental Science (49%)
- Natural Resources (41%)
- Wildlife Surveys (37%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- Business Development (18%)
- Renewable Energy (17%)
- Environmental Compliance (17%)
- Vaccination (15%)
- Quality Assurance and Control (15%)
Distinguishing Skills
A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.
- Restoration Projects (7%)
- Wetland Mitigation (7%)
- Environmental Studies (6%)
- Resource Conservation (4%)
- Environmental Impact Analysis (3%)
Salary Boosting Skills
A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed along with the marginal value: the average salary difference between postings that request that skill and those that do not.
- Wetland Science (3%) – marginal value $8,766
- Marine Biology (2%) – marginal value $1,595
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Field Biologist skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Biologist
- Senior Biologist
- Associate Biologist
- Staff Biologist
Similar Occupations
If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.
- Biologist
- Wildlife Biologist
- Physiologist
- Soil / Plant Scientist
- Biology Research Scientist
- Environmental Planner / Scientist
- Geneticist
- Hydrologist
Common Employers
Here are the employers that have posted the most Field Biologist jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.
United States
- ICF (27)
- Stantec, Inc. (24)
- Tetra Tech (24)
- Swca Incorporated (23)
- Olsson Company (20)
North Carolina
- Erm Group (5)
- Stantec, Inc. (3)
- Rk (2)
NC State Programs Relevant to this Career
If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!
All wages, job posting statistics, employment trend projections, and information about skill desirability on this page represents historical data and does not guarantee future conditions. Data is provided by and downloaded regularly from Lightcast. For more information about how Lightcast gathers data and what it represents, see Lightcast Data: Basic Overview on Lightcast's Knowledge Base website.