Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (19-1023)

Occupation description:  Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management. May collect and analyze biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water habitats.

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Employment and Job Openings

  Average employment Average annual openings
  2010 estimate2020 projectionPercent change GrowthReplacementTotal
Alaska 937965 3.03 2124
United States 19,80021,300 7.6140 450590

Job outlook

  • Alaska: Alaska’s employment growth is low with high employment opportunities. Read more.


2012 Wages

  Mean Wage and
95% Confidence Interval
Wage by Percentile
  LowMeanHigh 10thMedian90th
United States n/a30.05n/a 17.8427.7445.88
Alaska 31.0432.4733.90 20.9631.3746.97
Anchorage/Mat-Su Area (MSA) 27.9730.4732.97 20.2929.1342.77
Fairbanks North Star Borough (MSA) 31.5132.6933.87 25.3232.9840.94
Southeast Region 34.9936.0737.15 24.0133.5546.98
Balance of State 28.7131.2733.83 18.5031.1144.78

Labor Force Indicators

2011 Worker Characteristics
Total workersNonresident workers Percent nonresidentPercent age 45 plusPercent age 50 plus
766193 25.243.3 31.2
2011 Potential Supply
Qualified but working in another occupation28
Currently employed in a lower paid occupation14
UI claimants previously working in occupation47
2011 ALEXsys Employment Data
Number of registrants 209
Number of job position postings 13
Ratio of registrants to job position postings 16.1

Typical Entry-level Education, Experience, and/or On-the-job Training

Education: Bachelor’s degree Work experience: None On-the-job training: None

Training Resources

 DegreeFY2008–2010 reported exiters
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Wildlife Biology & Conservatio, BS 0
Wildlife Biology & Conservatio, MS 0
Wildlife Biology & Conservatio, PHD 0