Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 45.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new zoologists and wildlife biologists typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,199/month.

Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $65K here vs. $77K nationally.

West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -16%.

The median is $64,560 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,310, and experienced zoologists and wildlife biologists can clear $88,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,484/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 45.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median zoologists and wildlife biologists salary is worth about $64,560 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.