Home Marine Biologist Salary
Marine Biologist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a marine biologist is $80,300 per annum, before tax, up $16,900 since 2018.
- Government fisheries and environment agencies and private consultancies usually pay more than university research positions, and a PhD can move you into a higher classification.
- Early roles are often fixed-term and tied to a grant, so ask how the position is funded and what happens when that money runs out.
- If the job includes weeks at a field station or on a vessel, find out whether that time attracts a loading or time off in lieu.
The median salary rose by $16,900 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 marine biologist
The largest typical pay rise is $21,300 a year, moving into Environmental Scientist.
- Environmental Scientist+$21,300/yr
- Ecologist+$21,300/yr
- Fisheries Scientist+$21,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher marine biologist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time marine biologist salary is $80,300; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Field research and sampling and Laboratory analysis tend to command a premium over general marine biologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Environmental Scientist pays a typical $21,300 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."
Marine Biologist salary questions
How much do marine biologists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a marine biologist is $80,300 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is marine biologist pay rising or falling?
The median marine biologist salary is up $16,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than marine biologist?
Environmental Scientist pays a typical $21,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to marine biologist.
Related salaries
- Biologist salary
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Ecologist salary
- Fisheries Scientist salary
- Entomologist salary
- Geologist 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.