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Wildlife technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a wildlife technician. Wildlife technicians usually study biology, wildlife management, or environmental science. 71% of wildlife technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,339 real wildlife technician resumes to see exactly what wildlife technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for wildlife technicians are the Colorado State University and the Colorado State University.

There are also many online wildlife technician courses to help get the education required to be a wildlife technician.

What education do you need to become a wildlife technician?

What degree do you need to be a wildlife technician?

The most common degree for wildlife technicians is bachelor's degree, with 71% of wildlife technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a wildlife technician?

You should major in biology to become a wildlife technician. 21% of wildlife technicians major in biology. Other common majors for a wildlife technician include wildlife management and environmental science.

Most common colleges for wildlife technicians

Wildlife technicians often get their degrees at Colorado State University, University of Idaho, and Humboldt State University. Here are the most common colleges for wildlife technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Wildlife technician common collegePercentages
Colorado State University8.94%
University of Idaho8.38%
Humboldt State University7.82%
Oregon State University7.26%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point7.26%

Best majors for wildlife technicians

Best colleges for wildlife technicians

The best colleges for wildlife technicians are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.

A wildlife technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for wildlife technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become wildlife technicians.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for wildlife technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for wildlife technicians

The most affordable schools for wildlife technicians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for wildlife technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for wildlife technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wildlife technicians

The hardest universities for wildlife technicians to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for wildlife technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for wildlife technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wildlife technicians

The easiest schools for wildlife technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wildlife technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for wildlife technicians.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average wildlife technician salary by education level

Wildlife technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,447 annually. With a Associate degree, wildlife technicians earn a median annual income of $30,687 compared to $30,175 for wildlife technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
Wildlife technician education levelWildlife technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,175
Bachelor's Degree$33,447
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,687

Wildlife technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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