Average Wildlife Biologist Salary in Ecuador for 2026
A wildlife biologist in Ecuador earns about 22,420 USD a year. That's 27% above the national average of 17,620 USD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Ecuador sit around 9,960 USD a year, while the very top stretches to 36,800 USD. Everything on this page is in United States dollar (USD, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Ecuador, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a wildlife biologist make in Ecuador?
A typical wildlife biologist working in Ecuador brings home around 1,868 USD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 9,960 USD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 36,800 USD for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior wildlife biologist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the wildlife biologist salary in United States or Palau, both of which pay in the same currency.
How wildlife biologist pay ranges in Ecuador
A good way to think about salary in Ecuador is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all wildlife biologists in Ecuador earn less than 25,940 USD a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 15,760 USD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 31,520 USD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of wildlife biologists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 9,960 USD. The highest stretch to 36,800 USD, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Wildlife biologist pay by experience in Ecuador
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a wildlife biologist in Ecuador, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical wildlife biologist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years12,200 USD
- 2-5 Years+38% from previous16,880 USD
- 5-10 Years+32% from previous22,340 USD
- 10-15 Years+21% from previous27,020 USD
- 15-20 Years+16% from previous31,340 USD
- 20+ Years+10% from previous34,480 USD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 38%. That is the point at which a wildlife biologist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Wildlife biologist pay by education in Ecuador
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving wildlife biologist pay in Ecuador. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average wildlife biologist salary in Ecuador broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree11,880 USD
- Master's Degree+68% from previous19,980 USD
- PhD+75% from previous35,000 USD
Wildlife biologist gender pay gap in Ecuador
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Ecuador is no exception. Male wildlife biologists in Ecuador earn an average of 22,400 USD a year, while female wildlife biologists earn around 20,460 USD. That works out to a 9% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Wildlife Biologist gender pay gap
9%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Ecuador.
Pay raises for a wildlife biologist in Ecuador
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Ecuador sees a raise of about 11% every 19 months, which works out to roughly 7% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Ecuador, the national average raise is around 7% every 19 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Ecuador:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Wildlife biologist bonus rates in Ecuador
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
57% of wildlife biologists in Ecuador reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a wildlife biologist a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 43% of wildlife biologists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Ecuador
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Wildlife biologist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Ecuador is about 9% less than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
9%
Public-sector workers earn this much less than private-sector workers in Ecuador on average.
Wildlife biologist salary by city in Ecuador
Wildlife biologist pay is not even across Ecuador. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Cuenca
- Santo Domingo
- Quito
- Guayaquil
- Duran
- Manta
- Portoviejo
- Machala
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuenca | City | 24,280 USD | 23,660 USD | 10,000-35,260 USD |
| Santo Domingo | City | 24,280 USD | 23,700 USD | 8,880-36,580 USD |
| Quito | City | 24,200 USD | 26,020 USD | 14,540-37,880 USD |
| Guayaquil | City | 24,200 USD | 29,540 USD | 12,180-42,320 USD |
| Duran | City | 23,660 USD | 23,140 USD | 9,940-36,580 USD |
| Manta | City | 21,640 USD | 22,420 USD | 7,820-32,420 USD |
| Portoviejo | City | 21,020 USD | 19,380 USD | 12,840-34,080 USD |
| Machala | City | 20,760 USD | 23,520 USD | 13,660-34,960 USD |
Wildlife Biologist in Ecuador: FAQs
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How much does a wildlife biologist make per month in Ecuador?
A wildlife biologist in Ecuador earns about 1,868 USD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 22,420 USD.
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What's the salary range for a wildlife biologist in Ecuador?
Entry-level wildlife biologists in Ecuador start near 9,960 USD. Top-end pay reaches around 36,800 USD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 15,760 and 31,520 USD.
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Is the median wildlife biologist salary in Ecuador higher or lower than the average?
The median is 25,940 USD, higher than the average of 22,420 USD. Half of wildlife biologists in Ecuador earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for wildlife biologists in Ecuador?
Men working as a wildlife biologist in Ecuador earn around 9% more than women on average (22,400 vs 20,460 USD a year).
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Do wildlife biologists in Ecuador get bonuses?
About 57% of wildlife biologists in Ecuador reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.
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Do wildlife biologists earn more in the public or private sector in Ecuador?
In Ecuador, the private sector pays a wildlife biologist about 9% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do wildlife biologists in Ecuador get a pay raise?
A wildlife biologist in Ecuador sees a raise of around 11% every 19 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.