Wildlife Biology: Industry Analysis
From entry-level to senior-level positions, wildlife biologists have many different outlets and outcomes in their professional field. However, today we will look at the progression of early access as a budding technician, to higher level research positions in graduate and PhD programs, alike. Where the national average salary for wildlife biologists is $53,000/year, pay can change significantly in different levels of experience, education, and employer (Glassdoor). Federal positions (like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) generally have better pay, health coverage, and affordable housing, than state and independently owned companies combined. Although rampant stereotypes plague STEM fields, wildlife biology has ample evidence that women are beginning to dominate the field. Since urban development is continuously rising, job availability should also improve with more evident human-animal interactions. This can be seen directly in the upward progression across all spectrums of experience, with a 4% increase in the next 10 years (BLS).
Entry-level positions are extremely diverse. Undergraduate and bachelor students who are looking to expand their resumes and scale their future careers can apply for field technician internships with graduate research students. Average salary for starting employment is only slightly above minimum wage, approximately $15-20/hour, as these positions are offered with the hope of recommendation letters to propel individuals into higher wage brackets (Glassdoor). Minimal skill requirements are needed for beginning to assist in the field, however, having an educational background in these applications (GPS collaring, data analysis, etc.) is preferred.
Individuals hoping to formally pursue wildlife biology should not be afraid of moving across state lines and to remote locations across the globe. More opportunity is given to individuals who are willing to explore the possibilities of employment beyond their hometowns. The biggest draws for the wildlife industry in the United States are oftentimes in wilderness, along the Pacific Northwest coast including Alaska, where species diversity or human interest is abundant (BLS). Weaker outlooks arise in more rural, ecologically underrepresented areas of central United States.
After graduate studies, mid-level positions open far greater possibilities. Within Colorado State University’s own degree program, they’ve projected 86% of graduated students employed within their department in 6 months or less (CSU). Uncommon to many other math and science fields, women are beginning to dominate in wildlife degree programs (Data USA). This uptick in popularity should see more female voices arising in the overall distribution. However, women of minority groups may find themselves underrepresented in their larger occupational outlooks.
More success in middle ground professions is likely working within a state’s regional office. State agencies typically hire the most applicants than the federal government or college institutions do combined (BLS). In this environment, employees are able to establish work relationships, manage projects, provide insight to higher and lower level technicians, while also gaining professional recommendations. One of the more significant postings for individuals hoping to start their own field research, is taking an assistantship role within a given master’s program. In these roles, upcoming master’s students are given the chance to pursue a research subject on federal grant money, through the guidance of an academic advisor. Oftentimes, tuition is waved in these positions, due to the nature of their twofold education and job progression. However advantageous, these opportunities are oftentimes competitive and rigorous.
Finally, senior-level positions within an academic tract of wildlife biology allow much of the freedom that is presented to undergraduate students in their freshman years. At the heart of this industry, is the ability to create and manage studies that are completed in full by the prospective student. At each of these individual levels, there’s undoubtedly significant amounts of educational hierarchy attached. Whereas entry-level positions require little background within the field, mid-level and higher requires copious skills in GPS tracking, identification, mathematics, and individual data analysis. Like master’s students receiving opportunities from schools to fund their research, PhD students can also be given stipends, but at a much higher percentage. Additionally, federal positions which are some of the highest salaries in the field, are often given to these individuals with more advanced career and academic involvement. Salaries at this division increase substantially, upwards to $90,000/year plus benefits (BLS).
Overall, all across the board, wildlife biologists are presented with various opportunities to assist in field operations, run their own research, and work within institutions that pay well. General interest in wildlife biology cannot be limited to the simple love for wanting to protect and manage species across the world. Perhaps far greater, this field demands technical, meticulous problem-solving work that unites academically inclined students and natural born leaders.
Sources
Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Major. Warner College of Natural Resources. https://warnercnr.colostate.edu/fwcb/undergraduate-study/undergraduate-program-advising/. Accessed 3 Sept. 2020
Wildlife Biology. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/cip/260709/. Accessed 3 Sept. 2020
Wildlife Biologist Overview. Glassdoor. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/wildlife-biologist-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm. Accessed 3 Sept. 2020
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2020, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes191023.htm#ind. Accessed 3 Sept. 2020
