If you are an animal lover, then a career in zoology will do you great good. Although job titles tend to vary depending on the area of specialization, it’s very feasible to get a high paying career in zoology.
Generally, your in-depth knowledge of zoology, animal sciences, and lab and fieldwork can equip you for a career in the environmental, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries.
So, in this article, you will discover all you need to know about starting a career in zoology. We also highlighted the high paying careers in zoology for you in 2024.
Enjoy your read!
What is Zoology?
Zoology is the scientific study of the lifestyle of animals, this study includes their behavior, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution. Zoology falls under the biological category of the sciences; in fact, it is the study of everything related to animals.
A career in zoology is basically related to something concerning animals and their environments. Also, within the field of zoology, one can decide to remain in the wide span of study; the overall idea of zoology within biology.
However, there are many areas of focus or directions to take with a career in zoology. At a minimum, full careers in zoology demand a bachelor’s degree; higher levels of education coupled with experience is a plus.
Why Zoology?
Zoology wields a huge influence on our world through the scientific study of the evolution, anatomy, physiology, behavior, habitats, and health of animals and humans. It involves diverse methods such as electron microscopy, molecular genetics, and field ecology.
Through studying animals we acquire a better knowledge of how we function and communicate with the world around us. The search for answers to our questions puts us in the ridiculous position of being able to affect change, empower better options, and develop solutions for a stronger, healthier world.
What are the Career Options in Zoology?
As a matter of fact, zoology has a broad range of career paths, with the most stereotypical being an employee at a zoo: tending to and monitoring animals, maintaining environments, studying health and ecosystem habits. Employment by an established zoo gives on-site study and hands-on access to work with animals and their environments.
However, building upon the popular choices, wildlife centers, parks, and aquariums all are opportunities for a zoology career. Beyond the stereotype, a career in zoology is like several other science disciplines: a common career path can move to further research and in-field study.
Many zoologist careers include hands-on work, traveling, and monitoring animals in their natural ecosystems to understand the environment and how everything influences lifestyle. Research not only caters to methods for understanding different animal lifestyles and behavior but can also influence the way humans co-exist and change the environment.
How long is a zoology degree?
It takes about 4-years to gain a bachelor’s degree in Zoology, which is the primary level of zoologist education required to enter the field. Acquiring a Master’s degree will normally take another 2-years and may call for an extra 30-hours of practical, field-specific work. High-level positions may even require a Ph. D.
What is the average Salary of a career in Zoology?
As with the various career paths through zoology, salaries for zoologists can differ greatly depending on the level of expertise, schooling, location, and specific area of employment.
The lowest level for a fresh graduate with a bachelor’s degree invading the workforce at an entry-level position ranges from $30,000 to $45,000 (again, depending on location, employer, and particular focus).
Higher levels of education, like graduate programs, start around $50,000. The combination of advanced levels of study and extensive experience in the aspired field place the largest salaries of zoologists within the range of $90,000 and up.
Who are the Major Employers For Zoologists?
Though location influences the salary and type of career path you might choose in zoology, overall the state and federal governments are the largest source of employment in zoology.
Government employment centers on national parks and wildlife refuges, preserves, national and international studies, and research foundations; agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency all offer employment to zoologists.
Research companies hire zoologists as well to finish studies and tests to see how much new products and operations affect nature and animal life.
What are the Skills required for your CV?
Studying zoology equips you with specialist knowledge in areas like ethology (the science of animal behavior), animal biology, conservation, and ecology.
So, to accomplish the duties expected of you as a zoologist in any career, a strong skill set is needed. Also, strong mathematical skills are a plus. One should also be technologically skillful; much of zoology needs calculations and input of data, as well as learning new equipment and methods to study animals and environments by causing the least amount of disturbance.
A zoologist should have strong physical strength, particularly when completing research and studies on sites; collecting information can take long, strenuous periods of time and effort.
You acquire practical experience with modern laboratory and field research methods, giving you a range of technical skills. You also get a strong set of transferable skills, including:
Check this out: 21 Affordable Online Zoology Degree Programs
13 High paying careers in Zoology
If you’re more of an animal lover, we may have found your calling. These high paying careers we list here is worth giving a shot.
World Scholarship Forum assessed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to distinguish the occupations that pay workers over $56,000 annually and involve lots of quality time with animals. The thirteen gigs that made the cut differ widely in how precisely you’ll be spending that time — some call for studying animals, some for treating and healing them, and others for protecting them.
1. Wildlife Biologists/Zoologists
These are scientists that examine and study the behaviors of animals. They study the characteristics of wildlife and discover their role the ecosystems as well as how they communicate with humans.
Wildlife Biologists and Zoologists may perform experiments to further scientific knowledge about a species or several other reasons.
Several biologists/zoologists will branch off into particular fields, which may include ornithology(the study of birds), marine biology(animals and creatures of the sea and ocean), entomology(the study of bugs), herpetologists (reptiles and amphibians), or even limnology(the study of lakes and fresh bodies of water).
Wildlife Biologists and Zoologists are essential to preserving the state of our environment and advancing our understanding of the creatures we share our planet with.
The median yearly salary of a Wildlife Biologist and Zoologist is $59,680.
2. Marine Mammal Trainers
Marine Mammal Trainers are accountable for the welfare of animals in zoos, marine reserves, game parks, and aquariums. They can work intimately with animals like dolphins, sea lions, walruses, and whales.
They train them and are accountable for the animal’s environment, diet and medical care. In addition to a degree in zoology, most employers favor a master’s degree in marine mammal’s specialization.
Marine Mammal Trainers get a median yearly income of $42,000.
3. Biology Teachers
Biology Teachers teach students the principles of biology, the science that concentrates on the study of life and living organisms. They utilize lab experiments and other scientific investigations to engage and educate their students.
Of course, the big advantage of becoming a teacher is that teachers normally have two months off during the summer.
The average annual income for biology teachers is $57,200.
4. Research Assistants
Research assistants are important members of the research staff. They may organize and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment. Not just that, they also assemble and analyze data. They conduct research projects and write learned findings in papers about their research.
Research Assistants earn on average $49,000 a year.
5. Veterinarians
Veterinarians care for everything about the health of animals. They work to enhance their health just as medical doctors do for humans. Vets diagnose, treat, and research medical conditions and diseases of pets, livestock, and other animals.
They may work in hospitals or private clinics, while some travel to farms. In addition to a zoology degree, you need to have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree to be a veterinarian.
The median yearly salary of a veterinarian is $88,490 a year.
Interesting Read For You: Vet Tech vs Vet Assistant: Differences, Similarities, Job, Salary, Programs
6. Zoo Curators
They work in animal parks or zoos and they are in charge of the everyday welfare of the animals there. Zoo Curators are managers who oversee animal keepers, who feed and maintain the animals.
The zoo curator works under the direction of a veterinarian and plans the diets, administers medication, and identifies illness and injury of the animals. When it is required to move an animal, the zoo curator must guarantee that it is done so in a safe manner for both the animal and the public.
A zoo curator earns about $48,500 a year.
7. Animal scientists
These scientists research ways to enhance the safety and efficiency of agricultural practices linking to domestic farm animals.
They study an animal’s genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development as well as any general diseases it might get with the purpose of creating new methods that enhance the production of things like milk, eggs, or meat.
They also advise farmers on how to develop animal housing, reduce animal death rates, and enhance the health of their animals. To become an animal scientist, you’ll require at least a bachelor’s degree, although several in the field earn advanced degrees such as a doctor of veterinary medicine degree.
Median yearly pay: $60,760
Projected job growth through 2026: 6%
7. Ecologists
They study the way the environment influences living things and vice versa, carefully analyzing the relationships between them. They can work for environmental organizations, for the government, or for museums, zoos, or aquariums.
The great thing is a lot of their work involves working outside.
The average annual pay of an ecologist is $55,000 a year, hence, they are one of the high paying careers in zoology.
9. Microbiologists
Microbiologists study microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and some kinds of parasites. They try to understand how these organisms live, grow, and communicate with their environments.
Microbiologists may work in offices or laboratories, where they conduct their scientific experiments and analyze the result.
Microbiologists earn about $67,500 a year which make it one of the high paying careers in zoology.
10. Ichthyologists
Ichthyologists are biologists that study species of fish, sharks, or rays. They are included in fish identification, behavioral observation, water quality monitoring, research, data evaluation, writing and publishing in scientific journals, and more.
Interestingly, ichthyologists can work in education, research, or management, but in some cases, an ichthyologist travels to domestic and international locations to get specimens from oceans, rivers, and lakes. They usually must have open water diving skills to do this kind of work.
Alternatively, Ichthyologists work for colleges, research facilities, aquariums, zoos, conservation organizations, and more. Normally, all that is needed is a bachelor’s degree in zoology.
Ichthyologists can earn a median yearly salary of $57,000 a year.
11. Herpetologists
Herpetologists study reptiles and amphibians. Perhaps you’ve always been fascinated with snakes, turtles, iguanas, frogs, and lizards?
Herpetology deals with the behaviors of those kinds of animals, their physiologies, development, genetics, and more. They study them in the wild, where they can recognize possible threats to the species, pollution issues, disease, and more.
For them to do accurate research, they estimate the populations of those animals within a geographical region. They may publish research findings or give speeches at professional conferences. They may also teach the public through special programs.
The average salary of a herpetologist is $57,000 annually.
12. Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers
These workers operate the establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. This means they manage the care and raising of all livestock and animals on their farm, deciding everything from what to feed them to how to house them.
They must also manage the farm facilities such as every animal shelters, fences, and water pipes. And finally, ascertain the price of their goods and sell them.
Farmers and ranchers own and manage mainly family-owned farms, whereas agricultural managers control the day-to-day operations of one or more farms for an owner who does not want to such tasks.
No college degree is needed for this job, just lots of work experience. Hence, it is one of the high paying careers in zoology.
Median annual pay: $69,620
Projected job growth through 2026: -1%
13. Fish and game wardens
These law enforcement officers patrol fishing and hunting fields to make sure people are complying with federal, state, or local fishing, hunting, and boating laws.
They may be called upon to conduct search and recovering operations, investigate complaints and accidents, and teach the public about laws pertaining to the outdoors.
Those who work at a federal level are more often called federal wildlife officers. To become one, you’ll typically require a bachelor’s degree in a related field like wildlife science, biology, or natural resources management.
Median annual pay: $56,410
Projected job growth through 2026: 4%
FAQs
The job outlook for zoologists is good, with a foretold 13% increase in jobs over the next 8 years, so now is the perfect time to go become a zoologist.
Becoming a Zoologist takes difficult work and a large commitment to studying marine or wildlife biology, but in the end, a career in this field is very rewarding.
It takes 4-years to get a bachelor’s degree in Zoology, which is the basic level of zoologist education required to enter the field. Getting a Master’s degree will usually take another 2-years and may call for an additional 30-hours of practical, field-specific work. Advanced positions may even require a Ph. D.
Well, you good grades in relevant subjects like zoology and animal biology, and also an accredited bachelor’s degree.
Conclusion
A full career in zoology demands at least a bachelor’s degree; higher levels of education are fancied and experience is a plus. However, as a zoologist, you can have a very fulfilling and high paying career with the right skillsets.
References
https://www.graduateshotline.com/jobs-and-career/zoology.html
https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/collections/careers-for-zoology-majors/
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/zoology
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-paying-wildlife-careers-125651
https://onemorecupof-coffee.com/10-great-jobs-for-zoology-majors-of-all-types/
https://www.weber.edu/zoology/Why_Zoology.html
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