Ecologist

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Work Tasks

• Study living things and how they are affected by their surroundings, population size, pollution, rainfall, and temperature
• May study specific kinds of living things like microbes, plants, or insects
• Use what they learn to help protect the environment and to improve people's lives
• Write papers for scientific journals and reports for the government
• Work indoors and outdoors for colleges, drug and chemical companies, food companies, and research foundations
• Work with all kinds of living things, lab equipment, testing tools, and computers

Salary, Size & Growth

• $61,500 average per year ($29.50 per hour)
• A medium occupation (81,700 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.8% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in ecology
• Employers Prefer: A Ph.D. degree
• Skills/Courses: College courses include biology, taxonomy, genetics, evolution, plant and animal physiology, morphology, development, biochemistry, natural history. chemistry, math, physics, and computer science.
• Certification/Licensing: Certifications are available.