Not everyone is cut out for a career in wildlife biology. It鈥檚 true. Not everyone is willing to put in the hours of schooling and training it takes to understand myriad animal habitats, landscapes, and refuge systems that crisscross our country. Not everyone is willing to think beyond themselves and shoulder the burden of preserving natural habitats and protecting endangered species for generations to come.
But if you鈥檙e willing to put in the work, earning a wildlife biology degree can put you on the path toward pursuing your lifelong goal of helping animals survive and thrive.
That probably all sounds great. You鈥檙e probably nodding your head in agreement and convincing yourself now鈥檚 the time to go after your dream. But, you also might be asking yourself, 鈥淲hat can I do with a聽wildlife biology degree?鈥� Don鈥檛 worry, it鈥檚 natural.
We dug into research from the聽聽(USDOL) and the聽聽(USFWS) to help you navigate the path that makes the most sense for your future. To that end, we profiled a broad selection of job titles, daily tasks, necessary skills, and job outlook for those who choose to enter a marine biology program.
Wildlife Biology Careers for 鈥楢nimal Lovers鈥�
Our 鈥渁nimal lovers鈥� jobs are perfect for those who have been passionate about helping animals from a young age. They鈥檙e hands-on learners who are compassionate, career-driven, and not afraid of a competitive field. They鈥檙e the ones who don鈥檛 shy away from a challenge and are naturally drawn to leadership roles. 聽
Job titles you can expect to see
Once you earn a wildlife biology degree, you鈥檒l have a chance to specialize in a certain field or species. Specialization can come from additional schooling鈥攅arning a master鈥檚 or doctoral degree鈥攐r via on-the-job training, but those hoping to move into one of the careers included here are expected to have knowledge, skills, and work experience in addition to a bachelor鈥檚 degree. Bottom line: You鈥檙e likely going to need advanced education but a bachelor鈥檚 degree is the best way to begin your journey.
Jobs in this category include (but aren鈥檛 limited to):
- Aquatic biologist
- Fish & wildlife biologist
- Conservation resources management biologist
- Fisheries biologist
- Habitat biologist
- Marine mammalogist
- Wildlife manager
- Zoologist
People in these roles spend their days studying the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of aquatic animals and other wildlife, according to the USDOL. They may collect and analyze biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water habitats.
Other jobs that might resonate with animal-loving marine biology majors include聽听补苍诲听, but the education required, median pay, and job outlook varied too much to be included in our comparison.
Day-to-day tasks you鈥檒l be asked to perform
Regardless of what position you hold, if you continue down the wildlife biology degree path and specialize in one of the areas listed above, your day-to-day tasks will vary but will likely include some or most of the following. According to USDOL, here are six of the most common tasks you鈥檒l be asked to perform in the hands-on kind of career you鈥檙e seeking.
- Study animals in their natural habitats, assess the impacts of environment and industry, interpret findings, and recommend alternative operating conditions
- Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings
- Make recommendations on management systems and planning for aquatic wildlife populations and habitat
- Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance wildlife
- Write reports, scientific papers, and journal articles, and present to schools, clubs, interest groups, and government programs
- Prepare collections of preserved specimens or microscopic slides for species identification and study of development or disease
贵辞谤听聽wildlife biologist,聽, the variation in day-to-day tasks is what excites her the most about her job.
鈥淏eing out and observing the natural world. Being able to test hypotheses. Being up real early on a bird survey. It鈥檚 never the same twice,鈥� Yamasaki says in an interview with聽. 鈥淚 also enjoy discovering something new鈥攖here鈥檚 nothing any more special than that. There鈥檚 a lot out there! The scale of things to observe and study is mind-boggling.鈥�
Job outlook* for animal lovers
As of 2016, people in these jobs worked for government organizations, scientific or technical organizations, higher education, and a smattering of 鈥渙ther鈥� organizations.
The job is one that will allow you to fill your days doing what you love, similar to careers in marine biology, the job market for would-be wildlife biologists is very competitive. Job growth is considered 鈥渁verage鈥� through 2026, which means just 1,900 new jobs will become available in that timespan.
Knowledge you鈥檒l need to acquire with a wildlife biology degree
Because wildlife biology degree-holders have wide and varied career options, it鈥檚 crucial to prepare yourself with a diverse foundation of coursework. Obviously, you鈥檒l need to take classes in biology, but other schools of study can provide a knowledge base that will complement the work you鈥檙e already doing and set you up for future success in a competitive field.
Wildlife biology majors should consider additional coursework in these areas:
- English: The structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
- Mathematics: Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications
- Computers & Electronics: Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming
- Geography: Principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Customer Service: Customer needs assessments, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
- Education: Principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Communications & media: Media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods鈥�including alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
The wide variety of knowledge areas may seem like overkill, but you鈥檒l need a well-rounded education if you want to distinguish yourself in this highly competitive field.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an old stereotype that a wildlife biologist leads a solitary life studying nature. This simply isn鈥檛 true,鈥� Yamasaki says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to know how to work with people and how to understand and deal with a variety of viewpoints. There is rarely a day that I sit alone in my office.鈥�
The bottom line
There are a multitude of resources online that will help you understand聽. But, the common denominator in all of them is the passion with which the subjects of the videos and articles talk about the outdoors and their contribution to preserving them.
The field requires animal lovers who have a penchant for scientific exploration and, as such, is very competitive. The number of jobs projected to become available over the next eight years is quite small and will require your best effort鈥攊t will also require education beyond a bachelor鈥檚 degree.听But you can do it, and we can help. Our on-campus wildlife biology community is set up to support you and make sure you succeed.
If you鈥檙e considering 猫咪社区 for your wildlife biology degree, here is what a day in the life of a wildlife biologist looks like.听
*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics聽听补苍诲听.
Photo credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region
