Marine biologist
Study marine ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture, often within universities, CSIRO or state fisheries agencies.
Salary
Cited figures only: median full-time weekly earnings for the ANZSCO unit group Life Scientists (2345) from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia), and where available the QILT graduate starting salary for the matching study area.
| Figure | AUD | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time weekly earnings | $1948 | Your Career (2026-09-23) |
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Marine Biologist (234516), the closest official match for marine biologist, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- People employed
- 760
- Future demand
- Strong
- Work full-time
- 74%
- Average full-time hours
- 41 a week
- Women
- 44%
- Median age
- 41
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 13.5% |
| VIC | 8.9% |
| QLD | 33.3% |
| WA | 23.5% |
| SA | 7% |
| TAS | 12.6% |
| ACT | 1.1% |
| NT | 2% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 63.4% |
| Bachelor degree | 32.8% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 0.9% |
| Certificate I-IV | 0% |
| Year 12 | 1.1% |
| Below Year 12 | 0.8% |
What a marine biologist actually does
Marine biologists move between sea-going fieldwork, lab work and writing. Field trips can mean days or weeks on a research vessel, dive boat or remote coastal station, doing transects, deploying acoustic receivers, trawling for samples, taking water samples or running underwater visual censuses. Sea days start early, sit on the boat's roster, and can stretch to 12 hours with hot, wet and physical conditions. Back on land, the focus moves to lab analysis (genetics, isotopes, otolith ageing), running models in R or Python, and writing for peer-reviewed journals and management reports. Most marine biologists are based at a university, CSIRO or state fisheries agency along the coast (Hobart, Townsville, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide). Hours sit around 38 to 40 a week in government and CSIRO, with routine spikes during field seasons and proposal deadlines. Research and post-doc roles often run on fixed-term contracts tied to grants or to specific surveys.
Typical tasks
- Conduct field surveys at sea.
- Analyse population and ecosystem data.
- Publish research and advise policy.
Skills you'll use
- SCUBA diving certified to scientific or commercial standards
- Boat handling, sea safety and seasickness tolerance
- Field sampling using trawls, nets, acoustic telemetry, eDNA and water chemistry
- Statistical modelling in R, with packages for ecology and fisheries
- GIS and spatial analysis using ArcGIS or QGIS
- Reading and writing for peer-reviewed journals and fisheries policy briefs
- Working safely on remote vessels and at sea for extended periods
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 12 with English, Biology, Chemistry and Maths Methods or Advanced
- 2Complete a 3-year Bachelor of Science (marine science, marine biology, zoology, or ecology major), or a Bachelor of Marine Science at JCU, UTAS or Flinders
- 3Gain practical sea-going and field experience via volunteer programs, summer scholarships, or assistant roles with Reef HQ, AIMS or state agencies
- 4Add an Honours year (1 year research project plus thesis), since most marine research and consultant roles in Australia assume Honours
- 5Apply for graduate or research-assistant roles with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, state fisheries (NSW DPI, Fisheries QLD, DPIRD WA) or consultancies, or move into a PhD for research-led careers
- 6Complete a PhD (3-4 years) if you plan to lead research, work as a senior CSIRO or AIMS scientist, or move into a university academic role
Where you can work
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville and Perth
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere (Hobart, Perth, Brisbane)
- State fisheries agencies (NSW DPI, Fisheries Queensland, DPIRD WA, PIRSA, IMAS Tasmania)
- Universities with marine programs (JCU, UTAS, Flinders, UWA, USC)
- Parks Australia and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
- Aquaculture companies (salmon in Tasmania, prawns and barramundi in northern Australia)
- Environmental consultancies advising port, oil and gas, and renewables clients
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.
- Graduate0-2 yearsTypical roles: Research assistant, Marine field technician, Fisheries observer
- PhD candidate0-4 yearsTypical roles: PhD student on stipend, Research scholar
- Postdoc or fisheries scientist3-7 years post-PhDTypical roles: Postdoctoral fellow, Fisheries scientist, Marine ecologist
- Senior scientist8-15 yearsTypical roles: Senior research scientist, Principal fisheries scientist, Lecturer
- Principal scientist or Professor15+ yearsTypical roles: Principal research scientist, Associate professor, Lab or program head
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You are happy spending weeks at sea or in remote coastal stations
- You are SCUBA-comfortable and ready to certify to scientific diving standards
- You enjoy a mix of fieldwork, lab work and writing
- You are comfortable with long-tail study (Honours and probably a PhD)
- You are willing to take fixed-term, grant-dependent contracts early on
This might not suit you if
- You get seasick or are uncomfortable on small vessels
- You want a high starting salary straight out of a 3-year degree
- You want to live and work in a major capital city away from the coast
- You dislike statistical analysis or long-form scientific writing
Ways in
Uni and TAFE routes for marine biologist. We only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.
University
Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.
TAFE / VET
Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.
No direct TAFE pathway to this career.
Sources
ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.