Wildlife Biologist
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Studies wild animals in their natural habitats. May specialize in a particular type of wild animal, such as bears, or focus on a particular habitat, such as ocean ecosystems. May study animal characteristics and interactions, or the evolution of animal species over time. May track wildlife populations, or focus on the impact of human interactions on wildlife habitats.
Job Outlook
There were 111 Wildlife Biologist job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 4569 in the United States.
In combination with other careers in the Wildlife Biologist industry, which includes the Wildlife Biologist career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2012:
Salary
Many new Wildlife Biologist jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.
National
The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $53,238.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $49,027.
Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Wildlife Biologist postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $40,000.
Education and Experience
Posted Wildlife Biologist jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | 0% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 48% |
| Master's Degree | 46% |
| Doctoral Degree | 6% |
| Other | 0% |
Posted Wildlife Biologist jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Years of Experience | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 57% |
| 3 to 5 years | 34% |
| 6 to 8 years | 5% |
| 9+ years | 4% |
Skills
Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Wildlife Biologist positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.
Baseline Skills
A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.
- Research (45%)
- Communication Skills (33%)
- Planning (32%)
- Writing (26%)
- Physical Abilities (18%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Biology (55%)
- Wildlife Biology (33%)
- Natural Resources (30%)
- Wildlife Management (23%)
- Botany (19%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- Environmental Science (20%)
- Global Positioning System (GPS) (17%)
- Vaccination (17%)
- Data Collection (16%)
- Budgeting (15%)
Distinguishing Skills
A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (6%)
- Fishery Biology (6%)
- Environmental Education (6%)
- Conservation Planning (5%)
- Restoration Projects (5%)
Salary Boosting Skills
A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed along with the marginal value: the average salary difference between postings that request that skill and those that do not.
- Ecological Services (3%) – marginal value $9,680
- Climate Change (2%) – marginal value $4,315
- Fishery Biology (6%) – marginal value $4,135
- Wetland Restoration (2%) – marginal value $3,852
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Wildlife Biologist skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Ecologist
- Naturalist
- Fish And Wildlife Biologist
- Wildlife Specialist
Similar Occupations
If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.
- Biologist
- Field Biologist
- Physiologist
- Hydrologist
- Physical Scientist
- Biological Technician
- Soil / Plant Scientist
Common Employers
Here are the employers that have posted the most Wildlife Biologist jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.
United States
- United States Fish & Wildlife Service (241)
- Forest Service (127)
- state of california (87)
- Resource Environmental Solutions Llc (53)
- AECOM Technology Corporation (52)
North Carolina
- State North Carolina (6)
- Department Environmental Quality (6)
- Rentokil North America (6)
- Anderson Pest Solutions (5)
- North Carolina State University (4)
NC State Programs Relevant to this Career
If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!
All wages, job posting statistics, employment trend projections, and information about skill desirability on this page represents historical data and does not guarantee future conditions. Data is provided by and downloaded regularly from Lightcast. For more information about how Lightcast gathers data and what it represents, see Lightcast Data: Basic Overview on Lightcast's Knowledge Base website.