Hi!! I'm still in high school, but I know I want to pursue a career with animals. I'm not sure if I should become a zoo veterinarian or a wildlife biologist. I know they're both very different careers, and since I was little I've wanted to be a zoo vet, however now that I'm getting older I want to be able to travel more. The main reason for me wanting to be a wildlife biologist is because they get to work outside and travel more, but I'm worried that there's little to no pay, and very few jobs. Please help!
Hi Maifire! I wanted to respond, as I actually have a career as a wildlife biologist and have been considering returning to school to be a wildlife vet (because getting a job in wildlife biology wasn't a slim enough prospect, better narrow that field a bit more!
) I wanted to provide some perspectives on what it is actually like to be a wildlife biologist, because it definitely has its ups and downs!
Like most, I started out as a technician and spent time going from 6-month job to 6-month job. For these, I spent almost every single day outside doing a wide variety of tasks in every kind of weather. Through this, I met some of my favorite people, but also had very trying experiences living with field crews. I learned a very broad set of skills, and got to travel to quite a few spectacular locations as a technician. The pay was low (although I consider myself very lucky to have had pay, as many people that get out of school with no volunteer experience usually have to take unpaid internships to catch up on experience), there are no benefits, and you have no job security (unless you land a job with federal auto-rehire status). It can be precarious, especially now, as funding is always changing, and you may not be able to line up positions consistently. Because of this stress, I went to graduate school and got an MS in wildlife biology. This does not guarantee a "real job", as I hired technicians for my research that had MS degrees and no job. But getting an MS was one of my favorite parts of my life - research at this level typically requires extensive field work, and if you are lucky, it will involve getting hands on animals. Additionally, as a student, you are not required to (but are often encouraged to) find grants, and get experience writing manuscripts that don't contribute to the "publish or perish" mentality that exists in later-career research scientists. After my MS, I got a job with a non-profit organization focused on bird conservation. It isn't permanent, but it is extremely stable and has moderate pay (starting salaries for most organizations range from $30k to $55k depending on which agency, and you shouldn't ever pay for an MS, so your only debt would be anything you pay for your undergrad). It is in the office more than the field - perhaps a 60/40 split for office/field, with the field work all being in the summer, so summers are very busy. It lacks the camaraderie of early technician jobs, and the variety. Often, jobs at this level, unless you are working for a state agency, lack the experience of handling wildlife, but still spend time outside doing surveys/observations on wildlife or assessing habitat.
However, the most important thing to realize about wildlife biology, is that it is HIGHLY variable in the experiences/careers available to you. So when you say you are interested in being a wildlife biologist, that could mean many, many things. If you like the idea, I would encourage you to go for it, but realize that you may have to (later!) figure out what specifically you are interested in. Is it research? Habitat conservation? Outreach and education? Hands-on experience with animals? That will alter what volunteer experiences you choose to pursue in college - or try them all and base your future decisions on what you do and don't like. Most importantly, always volunteer and work in the field throughout school! The opportunities you don't pursue, someone else is! I cannot say enough for the value of volunteering to learn skills, learn what you do and don't like about the field, and as a tool to network with potential future employers.
Good luck in your decision! At this point, I would just focus on finding out what you enjoy! And don't stress about it, because all jobs will have perks and downsides. They are closely related enough that you will likely have transferable skill sets that would allow you to "try them out" if you later realize you want to move into a different field.
Sorry for the length on this!
