Field research & conservation
Wildlife Biologist
Everyone wants this job, which is exactly the problem.
Typical pay
$40k-$80k
How you get in
Bachelor's minimum; master's for permanent roles
Outlook
Competitive; permanent positions are genuinely scarce
Wildlife biologists study animal populations and habitats to inform conservation and management. The work is genuinely field-based and genuinely oversubscribed — seasonal technician jobs are the near-universal entry point.
A day in the life
- 5:00aOut before dawn for point counts
- 8:00aCheck and rebait live traps along the transect
- 11:00aRecord data, take GPS coordinates and samples
- 1:00pLunch in the truck
- 2:00pHabitat surveys and vegetation plots
- 5:00pData entry and equipment maintenance at the field station
How to get in
Bachelor's plus seasonal technician work
Duration
4 years plus 2-4 seasons
Cost
$40,000-$150,000
Credential
BS in wildlife biology, ecology or zoology
- Complete a wildlife or ecology degree with field coursework
- Take every seasonal technician job you can — this is the real currency
- Learn a technical skill others lack: GIS, telemetry, statistics or a taxa specialty
- Accumulate seasons until a permanent position opens
Master's degree
Duration
2-3 years after the bachelor's
Cost
$0-$40,000 — often funded by a research assistantship
Credential
MS in wildlife biology or a related field
- Work seasonal jobs and find an advisor with funding
- Complete a thesis-based master's, usually paid through an assistantship
- Publish your research
- Effectively the minimum for permanent state and federal biologist roles
Agency technician into biologist
Duration
3-6 years
Cost
$0 beyond your degree
Credential
Degree plus federal or state service time
- Take seasonal work with a state agency, the Forest Service or Fish and Wildlife
- Learn the federal hiring system and how to write to it
- Convert to a term or permanent technician position
- Move to biologist as you accumulate service time and education
What people love
- · Genuinely outdoors and field-based
- · Mission-driven conservation work
- · Travel to places most people never see
- · Varied projects and species
What wears people down
- · Heavily oversubscribed — many applicants per position
- · Years of seasonal work before anything permanent
- · Low pay relative to the education required
- · Remote postings strain relationships