PublicPay

Fish Biology federal salary series 0482

Full-time federal employees in the Fish Biology series earned a median of $109,985 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, about the same as the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $92,107 and $133,739.

Median pay
$109,985
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$92,107–$133,739
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,626
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+3.2%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Fish Biology
All federal (full-time)

What shapes fish biology pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (379 employees, median $89,618). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (698 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Massachusetts ($131,790) and lowest in Montana ($93,544), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Fish Biology pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Fish Biology pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 137 $69,954 $67,024–$75,374
GS-11 379 $89,618 $82,148–$95,700
GS-12 255 $106,336 $100,774–$113,378
GS-13 177 $131,273 $122,095–$139,408
GS-14 57 $153,198 $149,076–$168,724
ZP-2 53 $93,950 $88,356–$99,308
ZP-3 309 $117,695 $105,062–$130,786
ZP-4 212 $170,708 $149,481–$183,782

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Fish Biology pay by agency

Fish Biology pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of the Interior 698 $98,459 $84,638–$120,629
Department of Commerce 592 $130,786 $110,023–$163,514
Department of Agriculture 223 $94,597 $82,148–$104,427
Department of Energy 35 $133,964 $127,874–$147,714

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Fish Biology pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Fish Biology pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Washington 278 $123,336 $96,561–$147,545
California 167 $116,722 $97,087–$145,468
Oregon 126 $97,480 $86,628–$116,362
Alaska 94 $111,328 $95,700–$131,571
Massachusetts 75 $131,790 $110,493–$175,460
Florida 68 $114,631 $94,232–$144,954
Michigan 62 $98,459 $88,276–$116,607
Wisconsin 59 $94,597 $84,638–$118,855
Idaho 49 $94,597 $82,148–$104,427
Montana 39 $93,544 $82,148–$106,665

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare fish biology pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +3.2% from $106,618 in September 2025 to $109,985 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,812 to 1,626 (−10.3%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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