Also called: Executive Director, Program Director
Leads a conservation nonprofit, from a local land trust to an international wildlife group.
Raises money from donors, negotiates to buy land that protects a wildlife corridor, manages scientists and staff, and speaks up for wildlife at public meetings.
Estimate; varies hugely by organization size.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in conservation or nonprofit management plus years of experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Conservation Biology, Nonprofit Management.
Growing about average. Steady.
Low risk for 10 years. AI drafts grant proposals and donor emails faster; leading people, partnerships and fundraising relationships stays human.
Classes: AP Environmental Science, Speech & debate, Business or economics, English composition.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9151.
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.