Wildlife biologist vs wildlife veterinarian

The differences between wildlife biologists and wildlife veterinarians 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 wildlife veterinarian. Additionally, a wildlife veterinarian has an average salary of $59,110, which is higher than the $51,084 average annual salary of a wildlife biologist.

Wildlife biologist vs wildlife veterinarian overview

	Wildlife Biologist	Wildlife Veterinarian
Yearly salary	$51,084	$59,110
Hourly rate	$24.56	$28.42
Growth rate	1%	19%
Number of jobs	5,376	12,923
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Doctoral Degree, 43%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	2	2

Wildlife biologist vs wildlife veterinarian salary

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

	Wildlife Biologist	Wildlife Veterinarian
Average salary	$51,084	$59,110
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $75,000	Between $27,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Idaho National Lab	-
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between wildlife biologist and wildlife veterinarian education

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

	Wildlife Biologist	Wildlife Veterinarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Doctoral Degree, 43%
Most common major	Biology	Veterinary Medicine
Most common college	University of California - Davis	University of Georgia

Wildlife biologist vs wildlife veterinarian demographics

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

	Wildlife Biologist	Wildlife Veterinarian
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
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, 1.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 4.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 86.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	15%

Differences between wildlife biologist and wildlife veterinarian 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.

Wildlife veterinarian example responsibilities.

Lead original research in tumor virus biology and pharmacogenomic correlates of vaccine effectiveness with industry and USDA ARS research experts.c.
Lead original research in tumor virus biology and pharmacogenomic correlates of vaccine effectiveness with industry and USDA ARS research experts.c.
Collect and perform in-house antibiotic screening test specimens and submit drug residue, pathology and tuberculosis samples as pathology dictates.

Wildlife biologist vs wildlife veterinarian skills

Common wildlife biologist skills

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

Common wildlife veterinarian skills

Wildlife Biologist vs. similar jobs

Wildlife Biologist related careers

Wildlife Biologist related jobs

What similar roles do

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Wildlife Biologist
Wildlife Biologist vs Wildlife Veterinarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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