Marine Biology Degree in Seattle, WA — Salary & ROI 2026
Marine Biology degree analysis for Seattle, WA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$60K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$74K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.7 yrs
in Seattle
Cost of Living
120
index (100 = avg)
Marine Biology in Seattle, WA Overview
Seattle, Washington (pop. 737,015) has 16 colleges offering Marine Biology programs. The local cost of living index of 120 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,508/month. Marine Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Scuba Diving and Marine Ecology. The adjusted starting salary in Seattle is approximately $60,000.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
16
Public Tuition
$12,076/yr
Private Tuition
$49,119/yr
Room & Board
$18,145/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,675/yr
Unemployment
3.1%
Graduation Rate
68%
Marine Biology Salary in Seattle (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Seattle's cost of living index of 120 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Marine Biology salary: $50,000 starting, $62,000 mid-career, $78,000 senior level.Seattle adjustment factor: 1.20x based on the local cost of living index.
Marine Biology ROI Calculator for Seattle
Estimate your return on investment for a Marine Biology degree using local Seattle tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,076 | Private avg: $49,119
Seattle avg aid: $10,675/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$120,884
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$18,000
vs HS diploma in Seattle
ROI Payback Period
6.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Seattle
$179,116
Lifetime earnings premium ($300,000) minus total education cost ($120,884)
Student Loan Payoff for Marine Biology in Seattle
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Seattle for Marine Biology
University of Washington
public
$12,076/yr
$48,304 total
Seattle University
private
$51,435/yr
$205,740 total
Seattle Pacific University
private
$46,803/yr
$187,212 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Seattle Central College
$4,479/yr
Top Employers for Marine Biology in Seattle
Seattle offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Marine Biology graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Seattle Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Marine Biology Job Titles
Marine Biology in Nearby Washington Cities
Spokane, WA
$61K starting · COL 121
20 colleges
Tacoma, WA
$57K starting · COL 113
25 colleges
Vancouver, WA
$54K starting · COL 108.5
7 colleges
Bellevue, WA
$89K starting · COL 178.5
6 colleges
Kent, WA
$58K starting · COL 115.8
6 colleges
Everett, WA
$59K starting · COL 118.2
5 colleges
Renton, WA
$61K starting · COL 122.5
5 colleges
Spokane Valley, WA
$62K starting · COL 123.1
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Seattle
Prompt Engineering
$60K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$114K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$102K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$106K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$98K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$60K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$96K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$60K starting · 3 yr ROI
Marine Biology Degree in Seattle — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Marine Biology ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Seattle.