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Job outlook for wildlife ecologists in the United States
Are wildlife ecologist jobs in demand?
Wildlife ecologist job and salary trends over time
Wildlife ecologist jobs over time
Wildlife ecologist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 86 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 93 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 104 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 96 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 95 | 0.00% |
Average wildlife ecologist salary over time
Wildlife ecologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $45,031 | $21.65 | +4.9% |
| 2025 | $42,941 | $20.64 | --0.2% |
| 2024 | $43,042 | $20.69 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $42,276 | $20.32 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $41,074 | $19.75 | +1.4% |
Wildlife ecologist jobs by state
Most common states for wildlife ecologists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 20 | 3% |
| 2 | California | 39,536,653 | 34 | 0% |
| 3 | New York | 19,849,399 | 15 | 0% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 7 | 0% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 7 | 0% |
| 6 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 6 | 0% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 6 | 0% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 4 | 0% |
| 10 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 3 | 0% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 3 | 0% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 2 | 0% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 0 | 0% |
Wildlife Ecologist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of wildlife ecologist experts
Northwestern University
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Washington State University
University of California, Riverside
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
University of Rhode Island
The Wildlife Society
Dr. Paul Caradonna PhD
Conservation Scientist (Associate Professor)Northwestern University
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, And Population Biology
What general advice would you give to a Wildlife Ecologist?
Dr. Paul Caradonna PhD: Experience goes a long way. I am speaking from the perspective of ecology, evolution, and conservation. Having demonstrated experience in the field actually doing hands-on ecology and conservation is important. It is also good to demonstrate that you have a range of skills, such as: working in the field, data analysis, science writing, creative and clever problem solving. Work in this area is dynamic and challenging—those that can demonstrate that this is what gets them excited and that they have the skills to succeed in such an environment is essential.
What Wildlife Ecologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Paul Caradonna PhD: I think this comes down to preference. If you want to maximize salary, then working in industry is where you should look. But there is much less freedom in what you are doing with an industry job. In contrast, working for a non-profit may not bring as high of a salary, but the work is likely to be more rewarding and more flexible.
What will help Wildlife Ecologists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Paul Caradonna PhD: Several skills come to mind: creative problem solving, ability to translate science into action/practice, quantitive/data analysis skills, and general science communication. Which skills are most important really depends on the specific job, but these are the types of skills we need. Ecologists are increasingly called upon to help with all sorts of environmental issues and that means we need creative and dynamic people!
What technical skills for a Wildlife Ecologist stand out to employers?
Joshua Raabe Ph.D.: Many graduates' first position is a field technician, so being able to handle and identify fish, trailer and operate boats, and use a variety of sampling equipment are essential skills. Management and research requires data analysis, so statistics, computer programming, and GIS are valuable skills. Finally, writing and communication skills are absolutely necessary to communicate science to the public and each other.
Richard Zack Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic ProgramsWashington State University
Department of Entomology
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Wildlife Ecologist job market given the pandemic?
Richard Zack Ph.D.: While the pandemic has certainly had a significant effect on agricultural communities, agriculture was and will remain one of the most essential of our industries. As we come out of the pandemic, I think that we are going to see a continuation of the growth in available positions and hiring. It is estimated that we are only producing 30% of the individuals that are needed to fill all available positions. This is especially true for students that are looking for well-paying, entry level positions with small to large sized firms. We, at the university, continue to receive requests from our industry partners for interviews with students. We believe that this fall, when we can hopefully get back to face to face meetings, we will have a pent-up demand for our career services and some of our largest, in terms of industry attendance, career fairs.
What soft skills should all Wildlife Ecologists possess?
Richard Zack Ph.D.: Our industry partners and our advisory groups have been telling us for a while that soft-skills are very important to them. While they are seeking students with good technical backgrounds, they can and usually do fill in the details of individual types of positions through their own training programs. However, they want employees that are interested in what their companies do and how they operate, individuals that are eager to learn and progress through a system, individuals that have experienced and have an appreciation for working in teams, individuals that are creative but understand the chain of command, and as one large regional employer put it to me, individuals that show up for work on time and don't ask, as a first question, about vacation times and day's off. They are also very interested in employees that have cultural competencies and can work with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. In many of our fields, it is important that students look for internships with companies in which they have an interest. Many of our students our hired out of internships. So, it is very important for an individual to present themselves in the best possible manner when they are interacting with possible employers.
How have salaries changed over time for Wildlife Ecologists?
Richard Zack Ph.D.: Salaries at all levels of employment continue to rise. Starting salaries in most of our disciplines are very competitive with other non-agricultural disciplines. It is a very competitive market for our best students and many of them will receive 4-5 position offers before graduation.
Louis Santiago Ph.D.
Professor and Physiological EcologistUniversity of California, Riverside
Botany and Plant Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wildlife Ecologists?
Louis Santiago Ph.D.: This is hard to predict. Some academic interactions that they would have had with faculty were curtailed due to online learning, but I think that faculty should be willing to write letters of recommendation considering the situation. There is also a loss of interactions with their cohort, which is difficult to gauge. Beyond these university-based changes, there will likely be a shifing job market, since everything shifted towards remote activity for a year.
What's a day at work look like for a Wildlife Ecologist?
Louis Santiago Ph.D.: I am not sure. The concentration that we have had all year on a pandemic spread and vaccine development has put a huge spotlight on certain fields like virus evolution and epidemiology in general, but the long-term effects and how they relate to graduates remains to be seen. However, students graduating this spring will face a US that is half returning to normal, perhaps with co-workers beginning in person work for the first time in a long time.
What will help Wildlife Ecologists increase their earning potential?
Louis Santiago Ph.D.: In ecology, population ecology, and epidemiology, creativity and originality of ideas will always provide a higher career path. However, flexibility is also important. All else being equal, people who are willing to work in different ways and change with the times will always end up making more money. It takes more effort, but in the long run it pays off.
Jason Riddle Ph.D.
ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
College of Natural Resources
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Wildlife Ecologist job market given the pandemic?
Jason Riddle Ph.D.: In my opinion, I think the demand for new hires will eventually be strong. There's a lot of important work that has been put on hold over the past year. I think employers will be eager to make the hires to accomplish this work, especially if vaccinations and herd immunity allow for safer work conditions.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Wildlife Ecologists?
Jason Riddle Ph.D.: Becoming a Certified Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society is helpful. While many employers don't make this certification a requirement, it still carries important credibility in our field. Specifically, it demonstrates a serious and rigorous commitment to the profession as well as the resource. In addition, any certifications that professionals can acquire in the areas of first aid, wildland firefighting, herbicide application, and safe use of equipment (such as chainsaws) are helpful as well. Any course that improves communication skills is critical in our field.
How have salaries changed over time for Wildlife Ecologists?
Jason Riddle Ph.D.: It is important to note that most jobs in wildlife are with governments of some form (federal, tribal, state, or local). As such, these salaries trend upward.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Wildlife Ecologists in the next 3-5 years?
Scott McWilliams: New satellite and cellular technology and the miniaturization of electronics is revolutionizing our ability to track wildlife. Lidar and other remote-sensing of habitat are allowing us to relate movements of wildlife to resource selection at much finer scales. Automated drone-based surveys are revolutionizing how we assess the distribution and abundance of wildlife, and innovations in computer speed and software programs are allowing us to analyze this spatial information in new and better ways.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Wildlife Ecologists in the next 5 years?
Scott McWilliams: Given the general public's interest in wildlife and the natural world, and the need to live on a healthy planet, the fields of environmental science and wildlife biology and ecology will continue to grow.
What experience really stands out on Wildlife Ecologist resumes?
Jamila Blake: You may want to be a wildlife biologist, wildlife educator, consultant, or any number of career options. So the experience listed on your resume really depends on which discipline you are interested in pursuing, within the wildlife field, but hands-on experience will be valuable no matter what. This could be through internships, assistantship, volunteer work, or workshop, just something that shows you are working to build up your skillset and apply your knowledge of wildlife.
How do you envision technology impacting Wildlife Ecologists in the next 5 years?
Jamila Blake: Technology is a vital aspect of the wildlife field, and it will only continue to become more integrated into the work of professionals over the next five years. Emerging technologies will enhance professionals' abilities to monitor and protect species, conduct genetics research, and reduce wildlife diseases. Use of tools like live cams, genetic engineering techniques, GIS, artificial intelligence, and bioacoustics technology will enable efficient and effective contributions to wildlife management and conservation.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wildlife Ecologists?
Jamila Blake: Impacts of the coronavirus will definitely be seen in the lack of opportunities for in-person interactions, training, and work opportunities, but it is certainly not all bad. While students may have been hoping to gain some field experience, remote or modified positions have been developed, and a number of online learning opportunities have been enhanced to continue students' skill-building. Many organizations have been able to adapt to virtual workplaces, events, and professional development offerings - such as conferences, workshops, mentorship connections, and networking events. This year of adjusting and learning will likely enable the wildlife field to be more flexible with remote working options.