STEM

Marine Biologist

Study ocean animals, plants, and habitats by diving, sailing, and running tests to help protect the sea

Open interactive guide

What does a Marine Biologist do?

Marine biologists work on research boats, at coastal labs, in aquariums, and for government agencies. They count fish, track whales, test water, and study coral. Strong swimmers who love the sea do well, though much of the job is lab and computer work.

A day in the life

6:00 AMLoad gear onto the research boat and check the weather
7:30 AMDive or drop nets to count fish and collect water samples
12:00 PMLabel samples and pack them on ice
2:00 PMTest the samples back at the coastal lab
4:00 PMEnter fish counts and water readings into a database
5:30 PMWrite field notes and plan tomorrow's trip

What's great

  • Time on the water and near sea life
  • Work that helps protect ocean habitats
  • Chances to travel to coasts and reefs
  • Fieldwork mixed with real science

The hard parts

  • Jobs are few and competitive
  • Seasickness and long days at sea
  • Much of the work is at a computer
  • Entry jobs may be short-term or seasonal

What is a Marine Biologist's salary and outlook?

$40k – $99k
Salary Range
Bachelor's degree
Typical Education
Growing

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $39,600 to $99,000 a year, with a midpoint around $66,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Growing.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become a Marine Biologist?

A common path is Bachelor's degree in marine biology, biology, or ocean science. The ladder often runs from Field Assistant or Research Technician to Marine Biologist, then Senior Scientist or Lead Researcher, and Research Program Director. Other routes: Scuba certification plus volunteer research trips; Master's degree for research and project lead roles; Start as an aquarium or fish hatchery technician.

  • Scuba certification plus volunteer research trips
  • Master's degree for research and project lead roles
  • Start as an aquarium or fish hatchery technician

Career path

Entry level
Field Assistant or Research Technician
Mid career
Marine Biologist
Senior
Senior Scientist or Lead Researcher
Executive
Research Program Director

Will AI replace a Marine Biologist?

How much will AI change this job?

A lot

AI will change many everyday tasks in this job. The work shifts toward judgment, checking, and people.

AI takes over data work, so marine biologists focus on ocean discovery.

AI can now sort huge amounts of ocean data, like fish counts or water samples, much faster than before. This frees marine biologists to spend more time diving, designing studies, and solving real ocean problems. The job shifts from counting and typing toward thinking, exploring, and protecting sea life.

AI can help with

  • Sorting through photos and videos of marine animals
  • Analyzing water quality and temperature data
  • Writing routine reports and summaries

What stays human

  • Diving and collecting samples in the ocean
  • Deciding how to protect endangered sea creatures
  • Explaining research findings to communities and lawmakers

Skills to build now

  • Learn to swim well and try snorkeling or diving
  • Study biology and math in school
  • Practice writing clear reports about nature observations

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.