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Wildlife Management

Types of Degrees Wildlife Management Majors Are Earning

Those studying Wildlife Management may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	14
Associate’s Degree	265
Bachelor’s Degree	1,714
Master’s Degree	387
Doctor’s Degree	39

What Wildlife Management Majors Need to Know

Studies in Wildlife Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Wildlife Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Wildlife Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Wildlife Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Wildlife Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Wildlife Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE	Map creation software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Wildlife Management graduates include:

• Forest Pathology Professor
• Forest Products Teacher
• Biometrics Instructor
• Natural Resources Faculty Member
• Forest Management Professor
• Range Instructor
• Forest Biometrics Professor
• Assistant Professor
• College Professor
• Environmental Conservation Professor
• Research Professor
• Forestry Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Natural Resources Instructor
• Forestry Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.7%
Doctoral degree	29.6%
Master’s degree	17.4%
Post-doctoral training	10.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Postsecondary certificate	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%
Some college courses	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Wildlife Management?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 55.1% women and 44.9% men among Wildlife Management graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,332	55.1%
Men	1,087	44.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,838	76.0%
Asian	41	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	289	11.9%
Black or African American	43	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	20	0.8%
Two or More Races	103	4.3%
Race Unknown	61	2.5%
International Students	24	1.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Wildlife Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Wildlife Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,560
4 years	$38,597
5 years	$44,355

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,355 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Wildlife Management Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Wildlife Management. 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
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	1	3
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 Management Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Wildlife Management graduates earn a median of $38,597 four years after completion — roughly 2% 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
Natural Resources Conservation	03
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	03.02
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management	03.03
Forestry	03.05
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other	03.99
NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION	03.00
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	03.01

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.