Home Fisheries Scientist Salary
Fisheries Scientist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a fisheries scientist is $101,400 per annum, before tax, up $21,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Most fisheries scientists are paid under public sector classifications, so the agreement covering the agency sets the band and annual increases come through increments and promotion.
- Consultancies and research institutes set their own scales and may pay differently for people who can run assessments unsupervised.
- Early roles are often short-term project contracts, and contract length can matter more to total earnings than the rate itself.
The median salary rose by $21,400 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than fisheries scientist
The largest typical pay rise is $200 a year, moving into Ecologist.
- Ecologist+$200/yr
- Environmental Scientist+$200/yr
How to negotiate a higher fisheries scientist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time fisheries scientist salary is $101,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Fisheries Scientists are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Statistical modelling tend to command a premium over general fisheries scientist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Ecologist pays a typical $200 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Fisheries Scientist salary questions
How much do fisheries scientists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a fisheries scientist is $101,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is fisheries scientist pay rising or falling?
The median fisheries scientist salary is up $21,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than fisheries scientist?
Ecologist pays a typical $200 a year more and draws on similar skills to fisheries scientist.
Related salaries
- Marine Biologist salary
- Biologist salary
- Ecologist salary
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Zoologist salary
- Laboratory Technician salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.