Sources: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Personnel Management, Wisconsin Alphabetical Listing of Classifications and 2025-2027 Compensation Plan Pay Schedules; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Wisconsin state pay plan Sourced
Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective June 28, 2026. These are the ranges Wisconsin sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.
| Class and grade | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Fisheries Biologist Class 55231 Grade 15-04 | $21.70 – $49.82 a hour $45,136 – $103,626 a year |
| Wildlife Biologist Class 55271 Grade 15-04 | $21.70 – $49.82 a hour $45,136 – $103,626 a year |
| Fisheries Biologist-Adv Class 55233 Grade 15-03 | $28.24 – $64.93 a hour $58,739 – $135,054 a year |
| Fisheries Biologist-Senior Class 55232 Grade 15-03 | $28.24 – $64.93 a hour $58,739 – $135,054 a year |
| Wildlife Biologist-Adv Class 55273 Grade 15-03 | $28.24 – $64.93 a hour $58,739 – $135,054 a year |
| Wildlife Biologist-Senior Class 55272 Grade 15-03 | $28.24 – $64.93 a hour $58,739 – $135,054 a year |
Schedule: Pay Schedule 15: Science. Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions (hourly × 2,080). Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).
Source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Personnel Management, Wisconsin Alphabetical Listing of Classifications and 2025-2027 Compensation Plan Pay Schedules. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pay in Wisconsin, all employers Sourced
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (SOC 19-1023) in Wisconsin, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | WI |
|---|---|
| Workers | 360 |
| 10th percentile | $42,950 |
| Median | $68,370 |
| 90th percentile | $91,170 |
| National median, government employers | $78,500 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Wildlife / Fisheries Biologist page.