Also called: Botanical Artist, Natural History Illustrator
Draws plants in precise, beautiful detail for field guides, gardens, museums, and scientific papers.
A botanical illustrator studies a flower under a magnifier, measures each petal, and paints a watercolor so accurate that botanists can identify the species. Jobs include illustrations for a botanical garden sign, a seed company, or a new species description.
Approximate; mostly freelance commissions plus teaching.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Art or biology degree; many take certificate programs at botanical gardens.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Scientific Illustration, Botany, Fine Arts.
Growing slowly. Small niche; photography handles much routine work.
Low risk for 10 years. AI plant images aren't scientifically trustworthy, which protects accurate illustration; the field stays small and hand-drawn.
Classes: AP Biology, Drawing and watercolor, Environmental science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1013.
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.