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The differences between naturalists and ecologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a naturalist and an ecologist. Additionally, an ecologist has an average salary of $50,369, which is higher than the $42,363 average annual salary of a naturalist.
The top three skills for a naturalist include nature programs, cultural history and CPR. The most important skills for an ecologist are data collection, GPS, and GIS.
| Naturalist | Ecologist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,363 | $50,369 |
| Hourly rate | $20.37 | $24.22 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 6,913 | 7,026 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Naturalists are people who educate the public on environmental-related matters. The core responsibilities of this position are preserving, restoring, maintaining, and protecting natural habitat. Other duties performed by a naturalist are; guide work, conducting field studies of local and natural habitats, educating and providing the general public with recreational activities, assisting with administrative tasks that relate to parking admission, and leading and offering guidance during trips and nature walks for both adults and children.
An ecologist is responsible for studying the ecosystem components and the interaction between humans and nature. Ecologists analyze the organisms' roles within an environment to identify solutions in solving nature issues and environmental concerns. They conduct data analysis and field investigations to support their claims, writing methodological studies, and strategizing techniques in minimizing the impact of human activities on the stability of the ecosystem. An ecologist presents the findings on research colloquiums and conferences, highlighting conservation plans and project models for environmental sustainability.
Naturalists and ecologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Naturalist | Ecologist | |
| Average salary | $42,363 | $50,369 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $73,000 | Between $33,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Fresno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Alaska |
| Best paying company | PSEA | Volkert |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a naturalist and an ecologist in terms of educational background:
| Naturalist | Ecologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Biology |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of California - Davis |
Here are the differences between naturalists' and ecologists' demographics:
| Naturalist | Ecologist | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 0.7% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |