How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do zoologists and wildlife biologists make?

The US median is $76,780 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

318 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Zoologists and wildlife biologists: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-1023

$76,780US median pay, 2025

+3.6%Projected growth, 2025–35

1,400Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: zoologists and wildlife biologists

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	CIP 26.1302	87
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management	CIP 03.0601	85
Ecology	CIP 26.1301	63
Environmental Biology	CIP 26.1305	54
Zoology/Animal Biology	CIP 26.0701	46
Entomology	CIP 26.0702	32
Marine Sciences	CIP 30.3201	32
Wildlife Biology	CIP 26.0709	24
Evolutionary Biology	CIP 26.1303	16
Animal Behavior and Ethology	CIP 26.0708	11
Animal Physiology	CIP 26.0707	7
Zoology/Animal Biology, Other	CIP 26.0799	3

See the 318 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do zoologists and wildlife biologists make?: The US median is $76,780 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 318 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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