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Salary comparison

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists vs. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: Who Earns More?

Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss out-earn Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss by $13K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss land at $76,780 and Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss at $90,150. The education gap is real: zoologists and wildlife biologist programs typically require bachelor's degree, while occupational health and safety specialist programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss is Maryland ($107,500); for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss it's District of Columbia ($111,530).

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Median salary
$76,780
$90,150
Hourly rate
$36.91/hr
$43.34/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$49,100
$55,000
Senior level (90th %)
$126,440
$134,950
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
18,120
140,610
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Science
Science
Top-paying state
Maryland
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists median pay.

State
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
District of Columbia
$107,050
$111,530
California
$98,530
$102,840
Alaska
$90,370
$99,270
Oregon
$85,150
$95,240
Hawaii
$84,910
$94,840
Massachusetts
$84,350
$103,970
Washington
$83,780
$102,920
Colorado
$83,300
$101,400
New York
$82,640
$95,720
Illinois
$79,780
$98,270
Connecticut
$77,300
$96,110
Nevada
$75,180
$94,360
Maine
$74,490
$97,640
New Hampshire
$73,560
$101,260
Minnesota
$68,620
$96,990

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss or Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss?

Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss earn more nationally. The median is $76,780 for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss versus $90,150 for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss, a difference of $13K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists or Occupational Health and Safety Specialists?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists or Occupational Health and Safety Specialists?

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists typically requires bachelor's degree. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss get paid the most?

Maryland is the top-paying state for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss at $107,500/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists vs. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss earn $107,050 vs. $111,530 for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists salary breakdownView →Full Occupational Health and Safety Specialists salary breakdownView →Best cities for Zoologists and Wildlife Biologistss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss by take-home payExplore →How to become a zoologists and wildlife biologistsGuide →How to become a occupational health and safety specialistsGuide →