Botanist vs field naturalist

The differences between botanists and field naturalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a botanist and a field naturalist. Additionally, a botanist has an average salary of $50,491, which is higher than the $38,213 average annual salary of a field naturalist.

The top three skills for a botanist include GPS, plant surveys and rare plant. The most important skills for a field naturalist are social science, native plants, and .

Botanist vs field naturalist overview

	Botanist	Field Naturalist
Yearly salary	$50,491	$38,213
Hourly rate	$24.27	$18.37
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	6,922	44,776
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 87%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Botanist vs field naturalist salary

Botanists and field naturalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Botanist	Field Naturalist
Average salary	$50,491	$38,213
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $75,000	Between $22,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Forest	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between botanist and field naturalist education

There are a few differences between a botanist and a field naturalist in terms of educational background:

	Botanist	Field Naturalist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 87%
Most common major	Biology	Environmental Science
Most common college	University of California - Davis	University of California - Davis

Botanist vs field naturalist demographics

Here are the differences between botanists' and field naturalists' demographics:

	Botanist	Field Naturalist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%	Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between botanist and field naturalist duties and responsibilities

Botanist example responsibilities.

Create and manage multidisciplinary, interagency research teams.
Develop and maintain wetland GIS database.
Complete GIS modeling for a number of TES plant species.
Identify and GPS blueberry patches, identify plant, tree and shrub species and create maps.
Organize and participate in elk population helicopter survey, utilizing census data to determine big game harvest values for upper management.
Participate in planning, organizing and coordinating a nation-wide program to provide comprehensive statistical information on marine recreational fisheries.

Field naturalist example responsibilities.

Lead tour groups on both bicycles and kayaks, man small retail/rental outlet as only staff person.
Handle an assortment of animals, such as rats and snakes.
Establish and maintain appropriate systems to monitor, evaluate and report on all operational activities including logistics and program implementation.
Advise area NGOs on policy implications base on preliminary research findings.

Botanist vs field naturalist skills

Common botanist skills

GPS, 18%
Plant Surveys, 12%
Rare Plant, 9%
GIS, 9%
Wetland, 8%
Technical Reports, 7%

Common field naturalist skills

Social Science, 86%
Native Plants, 14%

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Botanist vs Field Naturalist

Updated January 8, 2025

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