What does a botanist do?

Q: What does a botanist do on a daily basis?

A botanist performs research, gathers and analyzes samples, and communicates their findings on a daily basis. Here are some details on the daily activities of a botanist: Performs research. Botanists study and perform research on plant life on a daily basis. They might focus on specific aspects of the field during any given day, such as plant physiology, genetics, ecology, or taxonomy. To properly perform their job they use specific tools, such as microscopes, computers, programs, or other specialized equipment.

Q: What does a botanist study?

A botanist studies the interactions and dynamics between plants and other organisms in a specific environment or ecosystem. Some botanists also look for new plant species and study any new findings they make.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

On this page

Botanist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real botanist resumes:

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.

Botanist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Botanists are proficient in GPS, Plant Surveys, and Rare Plant. They’re also known for soft skills such as Emotional stamina and stability, Observation skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Botanists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

GPS, 18%
Identified and GPS blueberry patches, identified plant, tree and shrub species and created maps.
Plant Surveys, 12%
Conducted botanical inventories and rare plant, lichen, fungi and invasive plant surveys.
Rare Plant, 9%
Documented and monitored rare plant occurrences.
GIS, 9%
Completed GIS modeling for a number of TES plant species.
Wetland, 8%
Assessed ecosystems for successful wetland creation.
Technical Reports, 7%
Assisted with the preparation of technical reports and mitigation plans for residential developments.

Common skills that a botanist uses to do their job include "gps," "plant surveys," and "rare plant." You can find details on the most important botanist responsibilities below.

Communication skills. botanists are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to botanist responsibilities, because "zoologists and wildlife biologists write about and present their research to the public, policymakers, and academic audiences." A botanist resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "experienced in grant writing, excellent technical and oral communication skills, as well as data management. "

Interpersonal skills. For certain botanist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of a botanist rely on this skill, as "zoologists and wildlife biologists typically work on teams and must be able to work effectively with others." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what botanists do: "conducted creel surveys utilizing interpersonal skills, data entry skills, and organizational skills. "

Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for a botanist to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what botanists relies on this skill, since "zoologists and wildlife biologists try to find solutions to wildlife threats, such as disease and habitat loss." How this skill relates to botanist duties can be seen in an example from a botanist resume snippet: "utilized aseptic techniques to maintain mammalian cell lines and prepare related solutions and culture media. "

See the full list of botanist skills

The three companies that hire the most botanists are:

SWCA Environmental Consultants1 botanists jobs

Choose from 10+ customizable botanist resume templates

Build a professional botanist resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your botanist resume.

Compare different botanists

Botanist vs. Wildlife division manager

A fish and wildlife biologist is an expert when it comes to wildlife and aquatic life. As a biologist, it is their duty to conduct studies and help in improving its conditions by recommending and enforcing policies. They typically gather and analyze samples through laboratory and scientific procedures, conduct observations and documentation, and work together with other experts and specialists. There are many opportunities for a biologist as they may work for private companies and government agencies. They may also teach in learning institutions.

The annual salary of wildlife division managers is $19,181 higher than the average salary of botanists.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between botanists and wildlife division managers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like wildlife habitat, data collection, and management plans.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, botanist responsibilities require skills like "gps," "plant surveys," "rare plant," and "gis." Meanwhile a typical wildlife division manager has skills in areas such as "harvest," "law enforcement," "fish species," and "mowing." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

On average, wildlife division managers reach similar levels of education than botanists. Wildlife division managers are 3.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 3.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Botanist vs. Wildlife biology technician

A career as a wildlife biology technician brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a botanist. In fact, wildlife biology technicians salary is $16,260 lower than the salary of botanists per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both botanists and wildlife biology technicians have skills such as "gps," "gis," and "epa. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real botanist resumes. While botanist responsibilities can utilize skills like "plant surveys," "rare plant," "wetland," and "technical reports," wildlife biology technicians use skills like "owl," "atv," "elk," and "plant species."

Wildlife biology technicians earn similar levels of education than botanists in general. They're 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Botanist vs. Fish and wildlife biologist

On average, fish and wildlife biologists earn higher salaries than botanists, with a $1,911 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on botanists and fish and wildlife biologists resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "gps," "gis," and "technical reports.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a botanist is likely to be skilled in "plant surveys," "rare plant," "wetland," and "plant communities," while a typical fish and wildlife biologist is skilled in "species act," "natural resources," "water act," and "environmental policy."

Most fish and wildlife biologists achieve a similar degree level compared to botanists. For example, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Botanist vs. Wildlife health specialist

Wildlife health specialists tend to earn a lower pay than botanists by an average of $6,224 per year.While both botanists and wildlife health specialists complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like gps, gis, and data collection, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A botanist uses "plant surveys," "rare plant," "wetland," and "technical reports." Wildlife health specialists are more likely to have duties that require skills in "ladders," "wild animals," "natural resources," and "management practices. "wildlife health specialists reach lower levels of education compared to botanists, in general. The difference is that they're 7.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of botanist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What a botanist does FAQs