💡 Why it matters: Animal populations are falling in many places, and zoologists provide the evidence needed to protect them. Paid jobs are limited, so experience counts.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs for zoologists and wildlife biologists are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦500k – ₦1.2M
- Mid-career
- ₦1.2M – ₦3M
- Senior
- ₦3M – ₦7M
≈ ₦100k – ₦250k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Canadian category: Biologists. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Observe animal behaviour in forests, savannas and rivers
- Count and track animal populations
- Collect and analyse data
- Advise on protecting wildlife and habitats
- Write reports and teach others about animals
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Observation
- Biology knowledge
- Patience
- Data recording
- Fitness for fieldwork
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Volunteering with conservation groups, reserves or wildlife charities is often the best first step
- Zoology degrees at universities, then work with conservation groups, national parks or universities
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Volunteering with wildlife charities and reserves
- Conservation or countryside apprenticeships
🇺🇸 United States
- Volunteering and internships with parks, zoos and wildlife agencies
- Seasonal field technician jobs
🇨🇦 Canada
- Volunteering and summer field jobs with conservation groups and parks
- Co-op programs with paid work terms
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Biology and Geography at school
- 2Take a zoology or wildlife biology degree
- 3Volunteer on field projects or at a reserve
- 4Add a master's degree or specialist skills
- 5Work in research, conservation or government wildlife agencies
⏰ A day in the life
You set out before sunrise to count birds at a wetland, noting each species in your field book. In the afternoon you enter the data on a laptop and look for changes since last year. Fieldwork can be hot, wet or muddy.