Also called: Natural Science Illustrator, Paleoartist
Draws plants, animals, fossils, and scientific discoveries for museums, field guides, and research papers.
A scientific illustrator might spend a day drawing a beetle under a microscope, getting every hair right. Paleoartists reconstruct how dinosaurs looked, working with paleontologists. Museums and journals hire them.
Estimate; mostly freelance.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in biology or art; certificate programs in science illustration exist.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Illustration, Fine Arts.
Growing slowly. Small niche.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI images are not reliably accurate, protecting expert work; budgets are small and stock or AI imagery takes generic jobs.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Studio Art, Earth 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.