The Salary Range of an Evolutionary Biologist
Evolutionary biologists study how plant and animal life adapt and evolve on a genetic level. Evolutionary biologists must obtain a postgraduate degree and very make very healthy salaries on average. Salary ranges vary by employer industry and location, though education and experience affect individual salaries as well.
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Salary Average
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Evolutionary biologists are listed under the "Biological Scientists, All Other" category in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average salary of biological scientists, including evolutionary biologists, was $69,430 per year or $33.38 an hour in May 2009, according to the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics. The median wage, the 50th percentile of all biological scientists' salaries, reported in at $66,510 per year or $31.98 an hour.
Salary Range
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The middle 50 percent of biological scientists including evolutionary biologists made between $50,420 and $81,650 per year, breaking down to an hourly rate of $24.24 to $39.26. The 10th percentile of workers made $36,750 annually or $17.67 hourly. On the other end of the spectrum, the 90th percentile reported wages of $100,580 per year or $48.36 per hour.
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Industry Comparison
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Evolutionary biologist salaries vary by the industry in which they work. For example, the Occupational Employment Statistics lists colleges, universities and professional schools as paying one of the lowest average salaries at $53,990 per year. Those working for the federal executive branch fared much better at a mean salary of $73,030 per year. Scientific research and development services also paid well, earning a mean of $75,080 a year.
Location Comparison
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Location can vastly improve or decrease an evolutionary biologist's salary. The Occupational Employment Statistics state averages show this. For example, biological scientists working in Alaska in May 2009 earned a mean annual salary of $70,880, while colleagues in Montana only made an average $56,120 per year. Evolutionary biologists in Virginia made a mean $86,950 per year, but those working in the District of Columbia topped them all as the most profitable location for biological scientists at an average wage of $104,350 per year.
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