Also called: Nature Photographer, Wildlife Filmmaker
Photographs and films wild animals for magazines, documentaries, and conservation groups.
Waits for days in a hidden blind to capture a snow leopard on camera, then edits images and pitches stories to publications. Few make a full living at first; many combine it with guiding or teaching.
Estimate; extremely variable, a few stars earn much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No formal degree required; portfolio and skill matter most.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Photography, Biology, Film.
Growing slowly. Very competitive.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI images undercut stock photo markets; authentic field images for science, news and documentaries keep value.
Classes: Photography, Biology, Studio art, Business or entrepreneurship.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-4021.
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.