Field Biologist
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
A Field Biologist 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 3 Field Biologist job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 345 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 2015:
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 $71,974.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $71,974.
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 $59,272.
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 | 73.91% |
| Master's Degree | 30.72% |
| Doctoral Degree | 1.74% |
| Other | 2.61% |
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 | 49.77% |
| 3 to 5 years | 34.74% |
| 6 to 8 years | 13.62% |
| 9+ years | 1.88% |
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 (53.62%)
- Management (33.33%)
- Problem Solving (32.17%)
- Detail Oriented (27.25%)
- Coordinating (24.35%)
- Self-Motivation (22.61%)
- Good Driving Record (20%)
- Writing (19.13%)
- Sales (18.55%)
- Planning (16.81%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Construction Monitoring (23.56%)
- Botany (22.36%)
- Biology (81.87%)
- Data Collection (31.72%)
- Ecology (26.59%)
- Environmental Science (27.79%)
- Field Surveys (22.66%)
- Global Positioning Systems (22.96%)
- Project Management (19.94%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- Bioburden Testing (6.65%)
- Sales Territory Management (7.25%)
- GPS Data (14.5%)
- Habitat Assessment (7.25%)
- Hand Tools (8.16%)
- Scientific Instruments (6.65%)
- Wetland Delineation (14.8%)
- California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (12.99%)
- Biotechnology (8.76%)
- Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) (6.34%)
- Wildlife Biology (11.78%)
- Managed Markets (8.76%)
- Calibration (6.95%)
- Geographic Information Systems (15.41%)
- Aerial Photography (10.88%)
- Field Service Management (7.55%)
- Business Planning (8.46%)
- ArcGIS (GIS Software) (16.62%)
- Biomonitoring (20.54%)
- Biopharmaceuticals (9.06%)
- Chemistry (6.34%)
- Biochemistry (6.65%)
- Development Environment (6.34%)
- Good Manufacturing Practices (6.65%)
- Data Entry (10.88%)
- Instrumentation (6.65%)
- Product Management (6.65%)
- Field Research (17.82%)
- Inventory Control Systems (6.65%)
- Managed Care (8.76%)
- Life Sciences (7.55%)
- Market Analysis (8.46%)
- Customer Support (7.55%)
- Pharmaceutical Sales (8.46%)
- Land Tenure (6.95%)
- Surveys (12.39%)
- Microbiology (8.76%)
- Product Lining (6.65%)
- Water Resources (7.85%)
- New Product Development (7.25%)
- Environmental Compliance (10.88%)
- Pulmonology (7.25%)
- Pharmaceuticals (15.71%)
- IBM Parallel Sysplex (6.34%)
- Technical Writing (5.74%)
- Water Quality (12.69%)
- Environment Health And Safety (9.67%)
- Verification And Validation (6.65%)
- Balancing (Ledger/Billing) (6.65%)
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.
- Construction Monitoring (45.35%)
- Field Surveys (43.6%)
- Global Positioning Systems (44.19%)
- Project Management (38.37%)
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Field Biologist skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Microbiology Specialist
- Field Reimbursement Manager
- Field Monitor
- Project Biologist
- Biological Field Technician
- Wetland Biologist
- Biologist
- Aquatic Biologist
- Lead 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.
- Wildlife Biologist
- Biologist (General)
- Environmental Planner / Scientist
- Biological Technician
- Conservation Scientist
- Environmental Compliance Specialist
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
- AstraZeneca (28)
- The Erm Group Foundation (19)
- Tetra Tech (13)
- Stantec (12)
- Environmental Resources Management Group (12)
- Acrt (12)
- Endemic Environmental Services (12)
- Jones Fish Hatcheries & Dist (12)
- Montrose Environmental Group (10)
- Pax Environmental (9)
North Carolina
- Suez - Water Technologies & Solutions (1)
- Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions (1)
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.