Ecology as a Career
Learn about a career in Ecology.
Do you need to understand the implications of environmental problems and prescribe solutions? Are you interested in preventing environmental destruction? Do you enjoy science-related fields such as biology, botany and geology? Do you enjoy nature and the outdoors or working in a laboratory?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, the area of ecology might be for you.
Ecologists study the relationships between organisms and their environment and how many factors such as population size, pollutants, rainfall, and temperature influence them.
What Do Ecologists Do?
There are many aspects to the field of ecology. Ecologists may use scientific and mathematic models that combine field and laboratory work on development of ecological concepts. Some ecologists study the lives of special kinds of organisms, ranging from microscopic size to larger plants or animals.
Others may focus on the interaction among and between individuals of single species (population ecology), or among different species (community ecology), or between groups of species and the physical environment (ecosystem ecology).
An ecologist may consult with professionals in many different areas from road builders to tree farmers to protect the environment. For example, ecologists often prepare environmental impact studies that government agencies request before building or doing something to a particular site.
Where Do Ecologists Work?
Ecologists work in many areas. An ecologist may be employed in universities, government agencies, consulting firms, research laboratories, museums, and in private industries such as those that produce energy, timber, and fish. Ecologists can work in laboratories with dangerous or toxic substances. Many enjoy trips into the field involving strenuous physical activity in unusual climates and primitive living conditions.
Education
A bachelor of science degree is the minimum degree required for non-research jobs, which include technician jobs such as testing and inspection. A master’s degree is necessary in applied research or management and for many jobs in inspection, sales, and service. A Ph.D. is required to teach at the college level, to do independent research, or advance into administrative positions.
Employment and Salary Outlook
Ecologists who have earned a bachelor or science degree can expect to earn between $15,000 to $40,000 a year. Those with a master of science degree can earn between $22,000–$25,000 in entry level positions and $60,000 in advanced positions. Ph.D. holders may earn from $45,000 to more than $100,000 a year, depending on duties and level of experience.
Source
The Ecological Society of America, Center for Environmental Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-3211.
