Marine Biologists

ANZSCO ID 234516

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
670
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
78%
Female Share
40%
Average age
41

Summary

Marine Biologists study the anatomy, physiology, functions, characteristics, behaviour and environments of all forms of life living in the sea and connected water bodies.

Tasks

  • Plans and undertakes experiments to study, measure and understand marine animals and plants.

  • Investigates the interrelationships between animals in their natural surroundings, in captivity and in laboratories.

Characteristics


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Life Scientists, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 78% of people employed as Marine Biologists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
38.4%
2
Public Administration and Safety
27.0%
3
Education and Training
16.2%
4
Arts and Recreation Services
4.7%
5
Other industries
11.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

11.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

7.0% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

33.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

24.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

12.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

2.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Marine Biologists All Jobs Average
NSW 11.2 31.6
VIC 7.0 25.6
QLD 33.0 20.0
SA 8.2 7.0
WA 24.1 10.8
TAS 12.4 2.0
NT 2.6 1.0
ACT 1.7 1.9


  • Around 62% of Marine Biologists live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
41
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
40%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Marine Biologists is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 40% of the workforce. This is 8 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Marine Biologists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 4.2 9.3
25-34 23.0 22.9
35-44 35.3 22.0
45-54 22.6 21.6
55-59 7.8 9.0
60-64 4.1 6.0
65 and Over 3.0 4.2
Median Age 41 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in science majoring in marine biology, marine science or a related field is needed to work as a Marine Biologist. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Marine Biologists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 59.2 10.1
Bachelor degree 37.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 1.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.9 21.1
Year 12 0.5 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Life Scientists who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 73%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 70%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 68%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 63%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 63%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 61%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 61%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 61%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 57%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 57%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 55%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 52%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 52%

    Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • 48%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 48%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 48%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 39%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 85%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 72%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 71%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 69%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 57%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 54%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 52%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 51%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 47%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 45%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 42%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 41%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 35%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 35%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 30%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 28%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 28%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 24%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 17%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 13%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 73%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 71%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 71%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 70%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 70%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 68%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 66%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 61%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 55%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 54%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 52%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 36%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 85%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 82%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 80%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 75%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 75%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 71%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 69%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 67%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 65%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 64%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 64%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 61%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 58%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 55%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 55%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 54%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 52%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 48%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 46%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 57%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 62%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 43%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 98%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 97%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 89%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 89%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 84%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 84%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 83%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 80%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 74%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 72%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 72%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 69%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 66%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 66%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 63%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 63%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 60%

    Dangerous conditions

    Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 19-1020.01 - Biologists.


Links and downloads

Back to top