Wildlife Rehabilitator

Also called: Wildlife Rehab Specialist

Cares for injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals so they can be released back to the wild.

A day in the life

Feeds baby squirrels every two hours, cleans oil off a seabird, sets a hawk's broken wing with a vet, and teaches a young owl to hunt live mice before release.

Pay over a career

Starting
$24k
Typical
$35k
High
$50k

Estimate; many are volunteers or run small nonprofits.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. State and federal permits; training and experience; a biology degree helps.

Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.

Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Biology.

Outlook

Growing about average. Small field.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Apps help identify species and dose meds, but feeding baby birds and treating injured wildlife stays hands-on.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Biology, AP Environmental Science, Chemistry, Vet-science CTE.

Official data: O*NET occupation 39-2021.

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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.