• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Biology Wise

Biology Wise

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Articles

How to Get Your Ecology Degree and Start Making Money

Home / Biology Degrees / How to Get Your Ecology Degree and Start Making Money

Like it? Share it!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

You should feel proud about getting an ecology degree (or even just thinking about it). After all, the job is an important one. With more than 89,000 ecologists already in the world today, projections say there will be at least 11.1% more by the year 2026. So, are you ready to get your credentials and start making money as an eco pro? If so, listen up.

What is an ecology degree?

With this credential, you study the connection between the world around you and the wildlife that lives within it. You also research things like life processes and population. And if you go to the right school, you might even get into the fundamentals of movement, migration, and energy distribution. 

Would you like to write for us? Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Get in touch with us and we'll talk...

Let's Work Together!

A degree in ecology means that you’re an official ecologist. In other words, you’ll be responsible for interacting with various species and analyzing the results. Your job description will include lots of experimentation and hands-on fieldwork.

What classes do I have to take for an ecology degree?

To graduate and start earning a salary, you must complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program at an accredited school. Part of that step is attending and passing the following classes: 

  • Biology
  • Evolution
  • Microbiology
  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Biomechanics
  • Genetics
  • Pharmacology
  • Physics
  • Biochemistry

Talk to an admission counselor for more specific information about which classes you need to take for the career you want because some of those classes may change.

The 3 best schools for eco majors

Here are 3 top colleges for eco majors in America:

  1. Harvard University – It’s rated #1 for Ecology/Environmental Studies by US News. The campus enrolls over 20,000 students every year but has one of the highest tuitions in the country.
  2. The University of California Berkeley – This one hosts nearly 40,000 students annually and has reasonable tuition. However, its science labs aren’t nearly as advanced as they could be.
  3. The University of Minnesota – It’s an extremely affordable school to earn your ecology degree and they accept almost 50,000 applications a year. But, their programs often borrow material from ivy league schools because of their somewhat lacking facilities. 

Remember, you boost your chances of getting paid more when you go to a good school. So, choose wisely and always do your homework.

Employers with the highest salaries for an ecology degree

Many grads go on to become environmental consultants, natural resource managers, and even DNR officers. But instead of looking at individual careers, try to focus on businesses that are hiring for your degree. There are many different companies and agencies that like to hire fresh-faced eco majors, so maybe start with one of those. Here are a few sources to get you started:

PUBLIC

  • National Park Service 
  • United States Department of the Interior 
  • Bureau of Land Management 
  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 

PRIVATE

  • The Nature Conservancy 
  • Panthera
  • The Orianne Society

Contact these agencies directly for more information on available jobs or visit their website for a detailed job description. 

Will my ecology degree make good money?

Your ecology degree salary will vary depending on many factors. Also, the higher you go in school, the more money you can demand from employers. On average, though, eco majors end up making about $51,000 per year to start. Meanwhile, some employers also throw in bonuses like health insurance, company transportation, and pension plans to offset the lower wage.

Related Posts

  • Online Biology Degree
    Earning Your Online Biology Degree

    As online degree programs become more prevalent, many prospective students are leaning toward earning their entire degree from online institutions. In fact, students can now earn an online biology degree…

  • Start Codon

    A start codon is the starting point of translation in a cell. Read the following article to gain more information about this subject.

  • biology degree
    Biology Degree Tips for College Freshmen

    Congratulations on enrolling in school to get your Biology degree. It's exciting to be a freshman but it's also overwhelming. So listen closely as we reveal some of the most…

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Category iconBiology Degrees Tag iconbecome an ecologist,  colleges for ecology,  degree in ecology,  eco-friendly careers,  ecologist salary,  ecology jobs,  ecology major,  how to be an ecologist

Get Updates Right to Your Inbox

Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox.
Blog Updates

Exploring the website?

Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there!

Footer

We hope you are enjoying Biologywise! Learn about the different types of biology degrees, schools, and jobs available for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Botany, Ecology & Environmental Studies, Forensic Biology, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Physiology, Zoology and Wildlife Biology, and more.
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Copyright © Biology Wise & Buzzle.com, Inc.
6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.