Also called: Comparative Psychologist
Studies how animals think: memory, problem-solving, communication, and emotions.
Tests whether crows can use tools to get food, records dolphin whistles to decode their 'names,' or teaches dogs to press talking buttons. Usually a university professor.
Estimate; professor salaries vary by school.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in psychology, biology, or animal behavior.
Ways in: Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Psychology, Biology, Neuroscience.
Growing about average. Small academic field.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI is decoding animal sounds and automating video scoring, so labs need fewer assistants; designing experiments stays human.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-3032.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.