Zoologist

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Work Tasks

• Study animals and their diseases, how they live and their behavior
• May study one type of animal or one specific thing about its life
• Do research with live animals and study why animals die
• May be curators for zoos and aquariums or teach in colleges and universities
• Work in labs, offices, classrooms, and outdoors for colleges, universities, industry, the government, zoos, aquariums, and research and testing labs
• Work with all types of animals, microscopes, stains, dyes, other lab and testing equipment, animal classification systems, and measuring equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

• $57,000 average per year ($27.50 per hour)
• A small occupation (17,400 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (1.3% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in zoology
• Employers Prefer: A Ph.D. degree
• Skills/Courses: College courses include biology, chemistry, math, physics, zoology, and computer science.