Marine biology jobs: degrees, pay and how to get hired
Understand marine biology pay, degree levels, courses and internships, from BLS data to NOAA and NSF REU programs.
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Marine biologists earn a median of $76,780 a year, based on May 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS doesn't track marine biologists separately. They're counted with zoologists and wildlife biologists, who study animals and how they interact with their ecosystems. Most entry-level marine biology jobs need a bachelor's degree, and leading your own research usually takes a PhD. The field is small, with 19,500 jobs in that BLS category in 2025, so the experience you build in college counts for a lot.
What marine biologists do day to day
Marine biologists study life in the ocean, from plankton and seagrass to sharks and whales. The BLS lists the core duties for this occupation as designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, estimating and managing animal populations, studying how human activity affects wildlife and habitats, and developing conservation plans.
In practice, the work splits three ways. Field work means boat surveys, dives, tide pool counts, tagging animals and collecting water or tissue samples. Lab work means identifying species, processing samples and running experiments in tanks. Then there's desk work: cleaning and analyzing data, mapping habitats, writing reports and applying for funding.
Most people use all three, in different amounts. A fisheries technician might spend most of the summer at sea. A senior scientist at a university might spend most of the year at a computer.
Many people with a marine biology background end up with other job titles, such as fisheries technician, water quality specialist, environmental scientist or aquarist. That's why the table below covers more than one BLS occupation. Employers include federal agencies such as NOAA, state fish and wildlife agencies, universities, environmental consultancies, conservation nonprofits and aquariums.
Marine biology jobs: pay and degree needed
| Marine role | Median pay | Entry degree | BLS occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine or fisheries biologist | $76,780 | Bachelor's (PhD for research) | Zoologists and wildlife biologists |
| Environmental or water quality scientist | $82,220 | Bachelor's | Environmental scientists and specialists |
| Lab or field technician, fisheries observer | $57,510 | Bachelor's | Biological technicians |
| Habitat or resource manager | $73,920 | Bachelor's | Conservation scientists and foresters |
| Marine biology professor | $84,620 | PhD | Biological science teachers, postsecondary |
| Aquarist or animal care staff | $35,360 | High school | Animal caretakers |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, median annual pay for May 2025. Last checked: November 13, 2026.
A median is the midpoint, so half of workers earn more and half earn less. Your pay will depend on your employer, your state and how much experience you have.
The BLS projects 4% growth for zoologists and wildlife biologists from 2025 to 2035. It projects 6% for environmental scientists and 7% for biological technicians over the same period. Technician roles are the most common first step after a bachelor's degree, and many are seasonal or fixed-term contracts that lead to permanent jobs.
For aquarium work, the BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry level for animal caretakers. It also notes that most zoos want a bachelor's degree in biology, animal science or a related field for zookeepers, and aquarium keeper roles tend to follow the same pattern.
Do you need a master's or PhD for marine biology?
You need a bachelor's degree to start. According to the BLS, a master's degree may be needed for higher-level jobs, and a PhD is typically needed to lead independent research projects.
Here's how that tends to play out:
- A bachelor's degree gets you technician, field crew, aquarist, observer and many state agency roles.
- A master's degree opens up project lead and biologist roles at government agencies, consultancies and nonprofits.
- A PhD is the usual route to running your own research program or becoming a professor. The BLS says postsecondary teachers at four-year colleges typically need a PhD.
Many people work for a year or two after college before choosing a graduate program. That time helps you decide which species or habitat you actually want to study, and it makes your application stronger.
Biology major or marine biology major: which courses to pick
Either major can lead to marine biology jobs. What usually matters more is the courses on your transcript and what you've done in the field.
A general biology major is broader. It keeps other options open, such as medicine, lab science or teaching, and almost every college offers it. A marine biology major builds in ocean-focused courses from the start and often includes a semester or summer at a coastal field station. If you choose marine biology, check that the program still requires the core chemistry and math you'd get in a biology major.
Whichever major you pick, try to take these:
- General chemistry, and organic chemistry if you can fit it in
- Statistics, plus calculus
- Ecology and evolution
- Invertebrate zoology, ichthyology (fish biology) or marine mammal biology
- Oceanography
- A programming course in R or Python, for data analysis
- GIS, which is software for mapping habitats and animal movements
- Scientific writing
Statistics and programming are worth extra attention. Almost every marine job involves data, and these are the skills hiring managers often find hardest to fill.
How to get marine biology experience in college
Experience is what separates applicants in a small field. These are the main routes, and you can combine them.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | When to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOAA Hollings Scholarship | College sophomores (check NOAA's graduation window) | Up to $9,500 a year for two years, plus a 10-week paid internship at a NOAA facility at $700 a week | Closes January 31, 2027 |
| NSF REU sites in ocean sciences | Undergraduates who are US citizens, US nationals or permanent residents | Paid summer research, with a stipend and often help with housing, meals and travel | Most sites: January to March |
| Marine station field courses | Undergraduates, often from any college | Course credit and hands-on field methods at a coastal lab | Varies by station |
| Aquarium internships and volunteering | High school and college students, depending on the aquarium | Animal care, education or research experience | Varies by aquarium |
Source: NOAA Hollings Scholarship and NSF REU pages. Last checked: November 13, 2026.
The Hollings Scholarship is one of the strongest routes into federal ocean science. As well as the money and the internship, it covers travel to an orientation and a science symposium, and gives a housing subsidy to scholars who live away from home during the internship. The current application closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 31, 2027.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are summer research programs funded by the National Science Foundation. You apply to each site directly, because NSF doesn't select students. The NSF says ocean sciences sites usually host about 10 students a year, so apply to several. Use the REU directory to search by topic and location.
Field courses at marine stations teach the practical side: sampling, species identification, boat safety and data collection. Aquariums run internships in animal care, education and research, and the BLS recommends volunteering or interning at zoos and aquariums as a way into animal care work.
Closer to home, ask your professors whether they need help in their lab. Many undergraduates get their first research credit this way, and it often leads to a strong reference letter for REU and Hollings applications.
How to get hired as a marine biologist after graduation
- Apply for technician, field crew and observer jobs first. These build the field hours that biologist roles ask for.
- Check government job boards. Federal roles at agencies such as NOAA are posted on USAJOBS, and state fish and wildlife agencies post on their own sites.
- Keep your data skills sharp. Put your R, Python or GIS projects on your résumé with a line about what you found.
- Stay in touch with people from your REU, internship or field course. Small fields hire through recommendations.
- If you're considering graduate school, ask programs about research or teaching assistantships before you apply, since these often cover tuition and pay a stipend.
Preparing for marine biology in high school
If you're still in high school, the most useful classes are biology, chemistry and math. AP Biology, AP Chemistry and AP Statistics or calculus all give you a head start on the college courses above, and strong scores can free up space in your schedule for field courses later.
Medly covers AP and SAT prep, with exam-style questions marked against the mark scheme and an AI tutor that explains where you lost points. You can start with Medly on the free plan, which includes 5 marked questions, 20 AI tutor messages and 1 uploaded paper a day, with no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is marine biology hard to get into?
Getting into a marine biology program is usually manageable, but landing a paid job can be competitive. The BLS counted 19,500 zoologist and wildlife biologist jobs in 2025, so internships, research and field skills make a big difference.
Do you need a PhD to be a marine biologist?
No. A bachelor's degree is enough for most entry-level roles, and the BLS says a PhD is typically needed to lead independent research or teach at a university.
How much do marine biologists make?
The median pay for zoologists and wildlife biologists, the BLS group that includes marine biologists, was $76,780 in May 2025. Related roles range from $57,510 for biological technicians to $82,220 for environmental scientists.
Can you become a marine biologist with a biology degree?
Yes. A general biology degree works well if you add ocean-focused electives, statistics and field experience such as an REU or a marine station course.
Do marine biologists have to scuba dive?
Not always. Diving matters for some field roles, such as reef surveys, but many marine biologists work from boats, in labs or on data analysis.
What should I do in high school to become a marine biologist?
Take biology, chemistry and as much math as you can, including AP classes if your school offers them. Volunteering at an aquarium or with a local conservation group is a good way to test your interest early.