Wildlife biologist vs botanist

The differences between wildlife biologists and botanists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a wildlife biologist and a botanist. Additionally, a wildlife biologist has an average salary of $51,084, which is higher than the $50,491 average annual salary of a botanist.

The top three skills for a wildlife biologist include USDA, wildlife species and GIS. The most important skills for a botanist are GPS, plant surveys, and rare plant.

Wildlife biologist vs botanist overview

	Wildlife Biologist	Botanist
Yearly salary	$51,084	$50,491
Hourly rate	$24.56	$24.27
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	5,376	6,922
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Wildlife biologist vs botanist salary

Wildlife biologists and botanists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wildlife Biologist	Botanist
Average salary	$51,084	$50,491
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $75,000	Between $33,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Idaho National Lab	Forest
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between wildlife biologist and botanist education

There are a few differences between a wildlife biologist and a botanist in terms of educational background:

	Wildlife Biologist	Botanist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California - Davis	University of California - Davis

Wildlife biologist vs botanist demographics

Here are the differences between wildlife biologists' and botanists' demographics:

	Wildlife Biologist	Botanist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
Race ratio	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%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between wildlife biologist and botanist duties and responsibilities

Wildlife biologist example responsibilities.

Utilize ArcGIS to create navigational maps, as well as uploading, managing and analyzing data for habitat suitability.
Create and manage multidisciplinary, interagency research teams.
Perform nuisance wildlife removal for animals such as squirrels, bats, raccoons, opossums, snakes, and skunks.
Complete regulatory compliance and permitting documentation for projects requiring ESA consultations including preparation of biological opinions.
Assist with prescribe burns on DNR land.
Supervise and participate in the annual raptor nest survey.

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.

Wildlife biologist vs botanist skills

Common wildlife biologist skills

USDA, 13%
Wildlife Species, 9%
GIS, 7%
Harvest, 6%
GPS, 5%
Natural Resources, 5%

Common botanist skills

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

Wildlife Biologist vs. similar jobs

Wildlife Biologist related careers

Wildlife Biologist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Wildlife Biologist
Wildlife Biologist vs Botanist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs