Pay by state · 52 states
Biologist Salary by State (2026)
Biologists earn the most in Maryland at $121,680 a year and the least in Missouri at $63,290 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $98,920. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $121,680Maryland
- National median
- $98,920BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $63,290Missouri
- States reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Biologist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of biologists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MDMaryland | $121,680 | $98,700 | $144,890 | 4,970 | $115,931 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $113,530 | $86,090 | $154,150 | 11,880 | $102,538 |
| 3 | DEDelaware | $113,400 | $81,470 | $151,710 | N/A | $113,618 |
| 4 | CTConnecticut | $111,940 | $83,480 | $138,900 | 170 | $108,040 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $108,110 | $83,100 | $131,780 | 2,620 | $101,025 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $107,100 | $84,390 | $162,180 | 2,930 | $101,270 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $106,870 | $89,170 | $120,240 | 370 | $104,407 |
| 8 | NJNew Jersey | $104,750 | $82,690 | $128,790 | 540 | $96,273 |
| 9 | MEMaine | $104,570 | $82,490 | $118,430 | 340 | $107,749 |
| 10 | NYNew York | $104,120 | $83,420 | $133,750 | 2,520 | $96,478 |
| 11 | RIRhode Island | $101,750 | $89,520 | $130,480 | 100 | $99,482 |
| 12 | PAPennsylvania | $100,780 | $77,520 | $123,920 | 1,810 | $103,288 |
| 13 | NCNorth Carolina | $100,070 | $79,960 | $124,510 | 2,780 | $106,090 |
| 14 | GAGeorgia | $96,820 | $79,440 | $106,200 | 1,230 | $100,547 |
| 15 | VAVirginia | $96,030 | $78,540 | $113,570 | 1,650 | $94,981 |
| 16 | HIHawaii | $95,600 | $82,330 | $113,670 | 370 | $86,948 |
| 17 | OHOhio | $95,560 | $65,770 | $121,860 | 610 | $103,003 |
| 18 | COColorado | $93,970 | $79,480 | $108,680 | 850 | $91,187 |
| 19 | UTUtah | $93,250 | $78,900 | $110,390 | 590 | $94,321 |
| 20 | MTMontana | $91,560 | $73,320 | $103,380 | 550 | $96,740 |
| 21 | SCSouth Carolina | $91,560 | $76,400 | $109,300 | 240 | $97,665 |
| 22 | WYWyoming | $91,560 | $76,400 | $99,470 | 170 | $98,780 |
| 23 | MSMississippi | $91,170 | $71,260 | $109,300 | 320 | $104,850 |
| 24 | AZArizona | $90,290 | $76,990 | $106,080 | 760 | $89,683 |
| 25 | ALAlabama | $87,260 | $68,460 | $103,700 | 340 | $98,240 |
| 26 | OROregon | $86,260 | $68,040 | $103,380 | 700 | $83,455 |
| 27 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $84,590 | $64,480 | $147,890 | 850 | $76,969 |
| 28 | WVWest Virginia | $84,590 | $67,200 | $100,420 | 230 | $94,517 |
| 29 | INIndiana | $84,570 | $68,360 | $141,790 | 640 | $90,615 |
| 30 | NMNew Mexico | $84,120 | $67,200 | $98,530 | 420 | $91,225 |
| 31 | FLFlorida | $83,780 | $54,000 | $107,120 | 1,920 | $81,014 |
| 32 | NHNew Hampshire | $83,740 | $73,240 | $110,410 | 310 | $80,392 |
| 33 | IDIdaho | $83,320 | $63,130 | $97,470 | 430 | $87,252 |
| 34 | NENebraska | $82,770 | $61,710 | $98,640 | 240 | $91,862 |
| 35 | IAIowa | $82,720 | $67,000 | $101,540 | 550 | $94,255 |
| 36 | ILIllinois | $82,640 | $64,010 | $106,020 | 1,300 | $82,675 |
| 37 | MIMichigan | $81,540 | $65,170 | $106,330 | 860 | $84,746 |
| 38 | TXTexas | $80,870 | $64,400 | $105,560 | 2,480 | $83,322 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $80,500 | $61,460 | $96,950 | 420 | $87,624 |
| 40 | OKOklahoma | $79,950 | $63,130 | $97,470 | 300 | $91,015 |
| 41 | KYKentucky | $79,400 | $63,130 | $96,100 | 260 | $88,067 |
| 42 | GUGuam | $78,850 | $61,110 | $94,520 | 50 | N/A |
| 43 | WIWisconsin | $78,480 | $65,170 | $98,050 | 740 | $83,405 |
| 44 | VTVermont | $77,960 | $62,360 | $97,470 | 90 | $79,585 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $76,400 | $56,040 | $97,470 | 360 | $87,880 |
| 46 | KSKansas | $76,400 | $62,790 | $104,870 | 760 | $84,825 |
| 47 | MNMinnesota | $76,400 | $56,050 | $97,470 | 750 | $77,468 |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $76,400 | $48,380 | $97,470 | 260 | N/A |
| 49 | NVNevada | $74,210 | $57,150 | $93,540 | 410 | $74,226 |
| 50 | SDSouth Dakota | $73,920 | $61,110 | $91,170 | 170 | $83,444 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $69,590 | $54,510 | $91,170 | 580 | $78,894 |
| 52 | MOMissouri | $63,290 | $50,090 | $94,520 | 1,120 | $69,690 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Biologists, that changes the ranking: Maryland leads on raw pay at $121,680, while Maryland leads once prices are taken into account at $115,931.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Biologist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Biologists the most?
Maryland reports the highest median wage for Biologists at $121,680 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($113,530) and Delaware ($113,400).
Which state pays Biologists the least?
Missouri reports the lowest median for Biologists at $63,290 a year, $58,390 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Biologists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Maryland first at $115,931 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $121,680. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.