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Biologists in Illinois

Biologists in Illinois

Considering working as a Biologists in Illinois? Here’s what the data says. All biological scientists not listed separately.

What do Biologists Make in Illinois?

For a biologists working in Illinois, the median annual wage is $78,600 per year (or about $37.79/hour).Pay can range from $51,070 at the 10th percentile to $123,970 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $51,070 $24.55
25th percentile $59,950 $28.82
Median (50th) $78,600 $37.79
75th percentile $100,300 $48.22
90th percentile $123,970 $59.60
Salary ranges for Biologists in Illinois

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Illinois relative to the national average — is 0.46, indicating fewer biologists per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, biologists earn a median of $54,070 per year ($26.00/hour), higher than the Illinois median.

Biologists earnings in Illinois vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 123,062 biologists across the United States. In Illinois alone, about 1,090 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 520 biologists.

Biologists in Illinois vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Biologists

Top Illinois Metros for Biologists

The largest metro-area employers of biologists in Illinois.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 760 $80,970
Champaign-Urbana, IL 110 $64,930

Top States for Biologists Employment

These states have the highest employment of biologists work.

State Number Employed
California 12,580
Maryland 5,220
North Carolina 3,020
New York 2,610
Pennsylvania 2,600
Texas 2,600
Missouri 2,560
Massachusetts 2,450
Florida 2,380
Virginia 1,950
Washington 1,870
Georgia 1,520
Illinois 1,090
Minnesota 960
Michigan 900
District of Columbia 900
Colorado 900
Indiana 850
Wisconsin 850
Oregon 720

Highest-Paying States for Biologists

The highest-paying states for biologists.

State Annual Median Salary
Connecticut $120,880
Maryland $115,710
California $112,010
New Jersey $102,760
Massachusetts $101,140
Rhode Island $98,990
Alaska $98,220
North Carolina $97,020
Colorado $96,680
Washington $96,120

Skills

Key biologists skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Science  4.6 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Writing  4.1 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  4.0 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Biology  5.0 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  4.2 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.1 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.6 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.4 / 5
0
5
Chemistry  3.4 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Top abilities for biologists, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Oral Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Written Expression  4.1 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Inductive Reasoning  4.1 / 5
0
5
Category Flexibility  4.0 / 5
0
5
Near Vision  4.0 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, biologists typically:

  • Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
  • Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
  • Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
  • Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
  • Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
  • Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
  • Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
  • Review reports and proposals, such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development, for accuracy, adequacy, or adherence to policies, regulations, or scientific standards.
  • Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
  • Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
  • Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
  • Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.

Work Activities

  • Processing Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Working with Computers
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
  • Getting Information
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Analyzing Data or Information
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Photoshop, C++, ESRI ArcGIS software In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

Careers similar to biologists include:

Also Known As

Aquatic Biologist, Aquatic Scientist, Bioanalytical Scientist, Biological Operations Scientist (Biological Ops Scientist), Biological Scientist, Biologist, Biology Scientist, Botanist, Cell Biologist, Cell Culture Scientist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Clinical Lab Scientist), Clinical Researcher, Computational Biologist, Computational Scientist, Dolphin Researcher.

References

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