Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 19-1023.00United States
Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management.
- Median annual earnings
- $76,532
- Projected change
- +6.3%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 21.32K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
57.2% of the workforce
Growing to 22.66K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What zoologists and wildlife biologists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
- Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance wildlife.
- Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
- 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.
- Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
- Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
- Check for, and ensure compliance with, environmental laws, and notify law enforcement when violations are identified.
- Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them.
- Conduct literature reviews.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $48,398
- 25th percentile
- $60,502
- 50th percentile
- $76,532
- 75th percentile
- $96,580
- 90th percentile
- $128,413
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $76,532 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.3%faster than average
202521,317 jobs
2035 projected22,659 jobs
1,342 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 57.2%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 40%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 2.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Wildlife Biologists483 postings
- 02Biologists229 postings
- 03Wildlife Technicians123 postings
- 04Wildlife Managers114 postings
- 05Fishery Biologists107 postings
- 06Fisheries Biological Science Technicians102 postings
- 07Aquarists97 postings
- 08Animal Care Specialists95 postings
- 09Fish and Wildlife Biologists78 postings
- 10Fish and Wildlife Technicians76 postings
- 11Wildlife Specialists56 postings
- 12Natural Resources Specialists49 postings
- 13Marine Biologists48 postings
- 14Aquatic Biologists47 postings
- 15Animal Caretakers40 postings
- 16Fish Biologists39 postings
- 17Husbandry Interns35 postings
- 18Kennel Technicians33 postings
- 19Herdsmen31 postings
- 20Animal Care Attendants30 postings
Top employers
- 01State Of Alaska102 postings
- 02Department Of Fish And Wildlife59 postings
- 03Fossil Group59 postings
- 04Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania50 postings
- 05Dudek46 postings
- 06State of Florida39 postings
- 07Pheasants Forever36 postings
- 08State of Louisiana36 postings
- 09State of Nebraska36 postings
- 10ICF International34 postings
- 11State of California32 postings
- 12Australian International School, Singapore31 postings
- 13Texas Parks and Wildlife Department30 postings
- 14Student Conservation Association29 postings
- 15United States Department of Agriculture27 postings
- 16WSP Global26 postings
- 17Swca Environmental Consultants25 postings
- 18Stantec24 postings
- 19University of Minnesota24 postings
- 20AECOM23 postings
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