Also called: USFWS Special Agent, Wildlife Criminal Investigator
Federal criminal investigator who busts wildlife smugglers and poachers.
Goes undercover to buy illegal ivory, traces a smuggling network moving rare turtles, executes search warrants, and builds cases for federal prosecutors.
Estimate based on federal GS-12/13 pay with law enforcement premium.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's (often in biology or criminal justice) plus federal law enforcement academy.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Criminal Justice.
Growing about average. Very few positions.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps track online wildlife trafficking, but undercover work, arrests and court cases stay human investigation.
Classes: AP Biology, Government or civics, Spanish, Physical education.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-3021.
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.