PublicPay

Wildlife Biology federal salary series 0486

Full-time federal employees in the Wildlife Biology series earned a median of $89,618 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 18% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $76,140 and $107,151.

Median pay
$89,618
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$76,140–$107,151
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,882
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+0.6%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Wildlife Biology
All federal (full-time)

What shapes wildlife biology pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (718 employees, median $89,618). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (1,110 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Alaska ($111,328) and lowest in Illinois ($75,900), 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.

Wildlife Biology pay by grade

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

Wildlife Biology pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-7 57 $54,370 $52,042–$58,981
GS-9 500 $71,007 $67,559–$78,012
GS-11 718 $89,618 $82,148–$97,087
GS-12 350 $108,576 $101,443–$116,362
GS-13 142 $138,370 $127,564–$147,766
GS-14 64 $150,935 $139,663–$166,528

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

Wildlife Biology pay by agency

Wildlife Biology pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Agriculture 1,110 $83,774 $72,012–$97,116
Department of the Interior 646 $97,087 $84,638–$119,761

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

Wildlife Biology pay by state

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

Wildlife Biology pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 155 $92,866 $79,154–$107,411
Oregon 128 $87,820 $79,290–$97,087
Colorado 100 $87,430 $73,408–$107,621
Alaska 98 $111,328 $91,808–$131,571
Montana 71 $92,107 $82,148–$105,173
Arizona 59 $84,172 $74,678–$97,087
Washington 57 $97,593 $82,148–$118,160
New Mexico 55 $83,039 $74,678–$95,475
Florida 55 $82,148 $67,896–$113,886
Utah 54 $89,618 $77,168–$97,087

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

Compare wildlife biology pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +0.6% from $89,071 in September 2025 to $89,618 in September 2026. Headcount went from 2,050 to 1,882 (−8.2%). 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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