Also called: Mussel Hatchery Technician, Mussel Culture Biologist
Raises baby freshwater mussels in hatcheries to restock rivers, saving some of the most endangered animals in North America.
Collects tiny mussel larvae from a female, then attaches them to the gills of a host fish where they hitchhike for weeks before dropping off. You raise the baby mussels in flowing tanks fed with algae, count survivors under a microscope and later release them into streams.
Estimate; government and university pay.
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, fisheries or aquaculture.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Fisheries Science, Aquaculture.
Growing about average. A small field driven by endangered species recovery.
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors watch water quality, but raising tiny mussels and releasing them in rivers stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental science.
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.