Zoologist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a zoologist is $98,800 per annum, before tax, up $20,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on who employs you, since state and federal agencies and universities work to public sector agreements while consulting firms set their own bands and often pay more for senior project roles.
- A PhD or a specialist skill such as statistical modelling usually moves you into a higher classification, and remote fieldwork sometimes attracts allowances on top of base pay.
- Grant-funded contracts are common early on, which can mean gaps between projects rather than a steady annual figure.
The median salary rose by $20,400 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 zoologist
The largest typical pay rise is $2,800 a year, moving into Environmental Scientist.
- Environmental Scientist+$2,800/yr
- Ecologist+$2,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher zoologist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time zoologist salary is $98,800; 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 zoologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Environmental Scientist pays a typical $2,800 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."
Zoologist salary questions
How much do zoologists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a zoologist is $98,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is zoologist pay rising or falling?
The median zoologist salary is up $20,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than zoologist?
Environmental Scientist pays a typical $2,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to zoologist.
Related salaries
- Biologist salary
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Ecologist salary
- Entomologist salary
- Marine Biologist salary
- Biochemist 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.