Marine Biology--A Profitable career?

[bvanant]

A lot depends on what you really want to be when you grow up. If you want to do university research that means a PhD but you don't need an undergraduate degree in marine biology to go to grad school in marine biology. If that is an interesting road, learn as much general biology, physiology and chemistry as you can stomach as an undergrad since it will pay off later. But the real truth is that most professors of marine biology don't dive much, they run labs where experiments are mostly done in tanks so if you want to dive a lot that is another story. With an undergraduate degree in marine biology you might be able to be a technician in a university lab or you might be able to get a job doing field work. Neither will pay very well but you will have fun. marinebio.org has some very good info on it about programs in the U.S. and abroad.

The best advice came from Selchie and that is follow what you love and marry rich.
Bill

 

[aquaregia]

Theres no money in it, but don't let that stop you. Most of the UC Santa Cruz dive guys are marine bio majors, so if you wanted to talk to people about what their college experiences were like we could probably all arrange to dive on the same day and share an SI or something.

 

[mrbeast1414]

Theres no money in it, but don't let that stop you. Most of the UC Santa Cruz dive guys are marine bio majors, so if you wanted to talk to people about what their college experiences were like we could probably all arrange to dive on the same day and share an SI or something.

alright that sounds great!

 

[Selchie in LB]

The best advice came from Selchie and that is follow what you love and marry rich.
Bill

I forgot the last part, Marry rich!

 

[Orca21]

Hi my name's Mark, I'm 21. i'm currently studying Marine Biology in Galway Ireland, Well I've taken a year out to learn how to scuba dive before i start second year. I was doing some research on marine biology salaries and the US states where they are highest. I would like to live in Santa Barbara CA preferably i've always wanted to/ Huntington Beach maybe. i'm sure there must be a large enough amount of middle class college students and graduates living in Santa Barbara aside from rich people. I've heard Santa Barbara is a nice place to live, the people are friendly and laid back along with the beatiful weather. I know there would be a huge diversity of marine life in Santa Barbara which i've always had a passion for and i would like to live there permanently Working with the marine life in Santa Barbara is more important to me than the money, but i was looking at the money from the perspective of just being able to afford to live in Santa Barbara. Protection/Research of Orcas, Whales & Dolphins would interest me as an area of work Things are bad here in Ireland with the recession as it is in other parts of the world. job opportunities in the marine field here are limited as there are more job applicants than there is job availability. Higher salaries are earned with more years of job experience. i'll post the salary info below. Thanks for your help.


Questions


1) can a middle class college graduate with a few years study and experience afford to rent or buy a place to live in Santa Barbara?


2) Are there any high paid marine conservation jobs particurlary with private companies/agencies?.


3) With the salaries listed below would i be able to afford go back to ireland even for a few weeks in the Summer & Christmas?


4) Would it be possible to live there and marry and settle down with 4 kids in the future if my wife had a job too?.


Salary Information


Santa Barbara California
Starting Salary:$72,670
Average Salary:$88,243
After Working for Some Time:$103,815


Average Yearly Salary:$70,594-$105,891
Starting Yearly Salary:$58,136-87,204
Top Yearly Salary:$83,052-124,578


Average Monthly Marine Biologist Salary $5,883 - $8,824
Starting Monthly Marine Biologist Salary $4,845 - $7,267
Top Monthly Marine Biologist Salary$6,921 - $10,381


Average Hourly Marine Biologist Salary $32 - $47
Starting Hourly Marine Biologist Salary $26 - $39
Top Hourly Marine Biologist Salary $37 - $56


Huntington Beach California


Average salary: $92,913
Starting salary: $76,517
After working for some time:$109,310


Average Yearly Marine Biologist Salary $74,331 - $111,496
Starting Yearly Marine Biologist Salary $61,214 - $91,820
Top Yearly Marine Biologist Salary $87,448 - $131,172


Average Monthly Marine Biologist Salary $6,194 - $9,291
Starting Monthly Marine Biologist Salary $5,101 - $7,652
Top Monthly Marine Biologist Salary $7,287 - $10,931


Average Hourly Marine Biologist Salary $33 - $50
Starting Hourly Marine Biologist Salary $27 - $41
Top Hourly Marine Biologist Salary $39 - $59


Links
http://biologistsalary.com/CA/...
http://biologistsalary.com/CA/...

 

[Kevrumbo]

My advice is to go to a Junior College, complete all your basic undergrad requirements, and get vocational training as a Commercial Diving or Hyperbaric Medical Technician as an adjunct career skill to your Marine Biology Studies. (Also looks good on the curriculum vitae when applying to Grad School or for a future professional position in Marine Biology).

Best college program Santa Barbara City College:
Commercial Diving Marine Technology Careers and Training

The program is the only community college degree program in the nation which is accredited by both the Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). Santa Barbara City College pioneered formalized diver and technician education in 1968 with the A.S degree curriculum. Students who enroll in the Marine Technology Program have options to obtain an A.S. degree in Marine Technology or certifications from both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association of Diving Contractors (ADC) in commercial diving. SBCC also issues diver certifications meeting the Association of Contractors (ADC) standards, under the ADC standard 1099.

The two semester training program is designed to meet the needs of marine construction, research and diving industries. These multi-billion dollar industries are dynamic and require personnel who have a broad training base with technical skills above and below the water. The A.S. Degree Marine Technician program trains professional marine technicians and commercial divers. The modularized training curriculum includes instruction in all phases of commercial diving, hyperbarics, bell/saturation diving emergency medicine and welding to name but a few. Teamwork and safety are the prime emphasis of technician training.

 

[jcaplins]

Get a degree in statistics (or mathematics) with a minor in Biology (or double major). Learn some programming too. Volunteer in some labs; try to be useful and perhaps even develop your own original project. Keep your grades up; "passing" is not good enough. By the time you are a senior you will have all these questions answered and be well ahead of the game.

If you find Biology is not right for you, a degree in math or statistics will be useful for just about every other graduate program, private sector job or even a military officer commission.

(my $.02)

 

[DennisS]

Get a two year marine electronics degree. When field work/oceanographic cruises come up every scientist, grad student, lab tech, and volunteer is jockeying for a spot. The electronics tech is packing his gear, he knows he is going. All the samplers, analysers and data collection systems need to work at sea, ship time can run $20,000 a day. When something breaks, this is the down side of the job, when you have 3 scientists and the captain tag teaming you at 3am, how much longer, how much longer, when will it be fixed.

The ET frequently works with the PI (head scientist) back at the lab developing new ways to collect data, it can be challenging work. The work pays pretty good and it's a lot more interesting than counting critters under the microscope or measuring nutrients in salt water to the millionth part over and over.

 

[Wookie]

I make money in Marine Biology. I have a 100 foot research charter boat and use it about 100 days per year taking researchers out as "critter cutters". One of my favorite biologists is an employee of the state of Florida, and she has a Master's from a respected university. She is also the waitress at the taco joint I sometimes eat at, so she can make ends meet.

I suggest a degree in nuclear engineering, environmental science, or something else that can make you money. That's what I did.

 

[drbill]

I've been a marine biologist for 45 years now. Although my bank account is not below sea level, I am certainly not rich. However, I've loved my work for almost my entire adult life and wouldn't trade that for anything material. I know so many others who have wealth, in some cases great wealth, who have said they wish they could switch positions with me (and they could and do my life in style). As mythologist Joseph Campbell said, "Follow your bliss!"