---

Wildlife Biology

Types of Degrees Wildlife Biology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Wildlife Biology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	21
Bachelor’s Degree	523
Master’s Degree	28
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Wildlife Biology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Wildlife Biology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Wildlife Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Wildlife Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Wildlife Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Wildlife Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Wildlife Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Wildlife Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite	Office suite software	—
IBM Lotus 1-2-3	Spreadsheet software	—
Statistical software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Wildlife Biology graduates include:

• Microbiology Lab Tech (Microbiology Laboratory Technician)
• Downstream Technician
• Laboratory Technician
• Fiber Technologist
• Biology Laboratory Assistant
• Biological Aide
• Downstream Biomanufacturing Technician
• Biology Research Assistant
• Fowl Blood Tester
• Laboratory Assistant
• Research Technician
• Artificial Inseminator
• Marine Fisheries Technician
• Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Biological Science Lab Tech)
• Poultry Inseminator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Wildlife Biology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.6%
Master’s degree	34.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.9%
Post-doctoral training	1.8%
Doctoral degree	1.5%
Some college courses	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Wildlife Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.1% of Wildlife Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	346	60.1%
Men	230	39.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Wildlife Biology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	455	79.0%
Asian	10	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	56	9.7%
Black or African American	6	1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	24	4.2%
Race Unknown	18	3.1%
International Students	4	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Wildlife Biology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Wildlife Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,186
4 years	$39,528
5 years	$51,678

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,678 — roughly 77% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Wildlife Biology Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Wildlife Biology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Wildlife Biology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Wildlife Biology graduates earn a median of $39,528 four years after completion — roughly 4% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Zoology/Animal Biology	26.07
Animal Behavior and Ethology	26.0708
Animal Physiology	26.0707
Entomology	26.0702
Zoology/Animal Biology, Other	26.0799
Zoology/Animal Biology	26.0701
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Biochemistry	26.0202
Bioinformatics	26.1103
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	26.0101
Biomedical Sciences, General	26.0102

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.