Also called: Wildlife Rehab Specialist
Cares for injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals so they can be released back to the wild.
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.
Estimate; many are volunteers or run small nonprofits.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
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.
Growing about average. Small field.
Low risk for 10 years. Apps help identify species and dose meds, but feeding baby birds and treating injured wildlife stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, AP Environmental Science, Chemistry, Vet-science CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 39-2021.
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.