Career
Zoologists and wildlife biologists
Study how animals and wildlife live, behave and survive.
$76,780
Median pay
+3.6%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,400
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
- Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs.
- Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options.
- Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
- Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $76,780 a year and 1,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and ManagementCIP 03.0601
- Zoology/Animal BiologyCIP 26.0701
- EntomologyCIP 26.0702
- Animal PhysiologyCIP 26.0707
- Animal Behavior and EthologyCIP 26.0708
- Wildlife BiologyCIP 26.0709
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Biologists
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 · +5.3%
- Range Managers
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Fish and Game Wardens$74,060 · -5.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.