Check out the expected employment growth and salary potential for professions in environmental biology. Learn about undergraduate and graduate degree programs that can help you get ready for the workforce.
Is Environmental Biology for Me?
The subject of environmental biology concerns how organisms and their environments interact. Studying environmental biology can lead to careers in waste management, wildlife management, resource management, and environmental law studies, to name a few. Environmental biologists could be able to find work with for-profit businesses, governmental institutions, and nonprofit groups. Your professional decision may have an impact on your work. If you are researching the effects of a waste treatment facility, for instance, you might spend most of your time outside, taking notes and conducting fieldwork; if you work in environmental education, on the other hand, you might spend the majority of your time in an office or a classroom.
Employment Information
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for wildlife biologists rose by 5% from 2012 to 2022, which is a slower rate than the average for all occupations. The bureau also states that the median annual salary for wildlife biologists was $57,430 in 2013 (www.bls.gov). Employment of environmental scientists, which includes environmental biology employment, grew 15% between 2012 and 2022, which is faster than average. According to the BLS, the median pay for this profession was $65,090 in 2013.
Undergraduate Options for Environmental Biology
Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate programs in environmental biology and closely related fields are available. An associate’s degree in environmental technology may help you land a few positions in the field of environmental biology, but you won’t typically be able to learn the subject matter in-depth with this kind of program. Undergraduate students who want to be prepared to work in entry-level environmental employment can consider pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology. You could be able to enroll in courses in pollution ecology, sustainable resource management, and environmental data analysis through such a degree program. Some colleges could provide fieldwork or internship opportunities with local environmental firms and governmental organizations.
Graduate Education for the Course
You need a doctorate if you want to undertake research or if you want to eventually move up to a high-level administrative post. In addition to coursework, an environmental biology master’s degree program typically entails a thesis research project. Most management positions in environmental biology may be yours with a master’s degree. A doctorate is required for researchers, especially if they want to work in academia. In a doctoral program, you could take advanced classes in environmental physiology and population modeling, among other subjects.