Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3 pay range
State of Washington · class code 523N
- Class code
- 523N
- Salary range
- 58
- Pay unit
- Year
- State
- Washington
- The State of Washington published pay range for Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3 is $67,704 to $91,104 per year.
- Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) keys this classification as class code 523N.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Step progression
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) assigns this class to salary range 58 in the General Service Salary Schedule. The range pays 13 steps; a step is normally earned on a periodic increment date, not negotiated.
| Basis | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $67,704 | $69,348 | $71,136 | $72,900 | $74,748 | $76,608 | $78,504 | $80,496 | $82,440 | $84,528 | $86,688 | $88,788 | $91,104 |
| Monthly | $5,642 | $5,779 | $5,928 | $6,075 | $6,229 | $6,384 | $6,542 | $6,708 | $6,870 | $7,044 | $7,224 | $7,399 | $7,592 |
| Hourly | $32.43 | $33.21 | $34.07 | $34.91 | $35.80 | $36.69 | $37.60 | $38.55 | $39.48 | $40.48 | $41.52 | $42.52 | $43.63 |
Steps as published. The monthly and hourly rows are the state's own, not conversions of the annual row.
Class specification
The OFM classified job specification for this class is published by Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications.
What the state says the job is
Is a senior level professional Biologist working under general direction that plans, develops, and designs biological studies, research, resource assessments or resource management and provides the analysis, assessment, and interpretation of the results and preparation of final written reports that have a direct impact on key program decisions. And one or more of the following: Is the biologist who is responsible for all of a Program’s biological activities within an area, within a district; OR Prepares, assesses, and interprets resource information or regulations, regularly involving inter-program or external coordination; OR Is the programs independent specialist on issues affecting fish, wildlife, lands, or habitat in a geographic area that may include more than one district or in a focused area.
Examples of the work
Inventories biological and physical characteristics on all lands, and develops and implements programs for managing and enhancing fish and wildlife habitats for both game and nongame species; assesses habitat needs for various management species; Has conservation and management responsibilities for fish, wildlife, and/or habitat(s); Monitors public use and evaluates user needs and potential conflicts with the natural resources and implements programs for managing and enhancing public use; In coordination with a higher level professional, determines the appropriate statistical techniques and parameters to be used in assigned research studies; Has the principal responsibility for the collectio ...
Minimum qualifications
A Bachelor's degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science AND Three years of professional experience in fish management or fish research, wildlife management or wildlife research, or habitat management or habitat research. Twelve semesters or eighteen-quarter hours of specific course work is required for certain positions. OR Two years as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2. Equivalent education/experience. Note: A Master’s degree in the applicable science will substitute one year of the required experience. Note: A Ph.D. in the applicable science may be substituted for two years of the required experience.
Quoted from the OFM classified job specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) publishes this figure in Classified Job Listing joined to the OFM salary schedules effective July 1, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
The dollar figures come from the salary schedule the listing assigns this range to.