Agriculture, Food & Environment

Wildlife Biologist

Study wild animals and their homes, counting populations and advising on how to protect them

Open interactive guide

What does a Wildlife Biologist do?

Wildlife biologists work for state and federal agencies, universities, and conservation groups. They trap and tag animals, count nests, survey habitat, and study data to guide hunting rules and protection plans. Field seasons can be long and remote. It suits patient, curious people who enjoy science outdoors.

A day in the life

5:30 AMHike to the study site when birds and deer are most active
7:00 AMCount and record every animal seen or heard along a set route
9:30 AMCheck camera traps and swap out memory cards
11:30 AMSafely trap and tag an animal, then release it
2:00 PMMeasure plants and water quality at the animals' habitat
4:30 PMEnter data on a laptop and write field notes at camp

What's great

  • Work outdoors with wild animals
  • Your data guides real protection choices
  • Mix of field, lab, and writing
  • Jobs with agencies, universities, and nonprofits

The hard parts

  • Competitive jobs that often start seasonal
  • Remote field work far from home
  • Many jobs want a master's degree
  • Bugs, bad weather, and rough terrain

What is a Wildlife Biologist's salary and outlook?

$36k – $90k
Salary Range
Bachelor's degree
Typical Education
Growing

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $36,000 to $90,000 a year, with a midpoint around $60,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Growing.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become a Wildlife Biologist?

A common path is Bachelor's in wildlife biology or zoology; a master's helps for many jobs. The ladder often runs from Wildlife Technician (Seasonal) to Wildlife Biologist, then Senior Biologist or Project Leader, and Wildlife Program Director. Other routes: Master's degree for research and lead biologist jobs; Seasonal field technician jobs and internships while in school; Certified Wildlife Biologist credential from a professional society; Volunteer with a state wildlife agency.

  • Master's degree for research and lead biologist jobs
  • Seasonal field technician jobs and internships while in school
  • Certified Wildlife Biologist credential from a professional society
  • Volunteer with a state wildlife agency

Career path

Entry level
Wildlife Technician (Seasonal)
Mid career
Wildlife Biologist
Senior
Senior Biologist or Project Leader
Executive
Wildlife Program Director

Will AI replace a Wildlife Biologist?

How much will AI change this job?

A lot

AI will change many everyday tasks in this job. The work shifts toward judgment, checking, and people.

AI takes over data tasks, biologists focus on animals and decisions.

AI will help wildlife biologists sort through huge amounts of data, like camera trap photos and tracking signals. This means less time counting and more time understanding animal behavior and making smart choices about protecting habitats. The heart of the job, being outdoors and caring for wildlife, stays the same.

AI can help with

  • Sorting camera trap and drone photos fast
  • Tracking animal movement patterns from GPS data
  • Predicting population trends using past data

What stays human

  • Observing animals directly in their natural habitat
  • Making judgment calls about conservation strategies
  • Building trust with landowners and local communities

Skills to build now

  • Join a nature club or do bird watching
  • Practice basic coding or spreadsheet skills
  • Volunteer for local habitat cleanup or citizen science projects

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.