Also called: Wildlife Hazard Manager, USDA Wildlife Specialist
Keeps birds and animals away from runways so they don't collide with aircraft.
You patrol the airfield at dawn counting geese, hawks, and deer, then use noise cannons, lasers, and trained dogs to move them away. You study why birds come (ponds, grass seeds) and change the habitat. After a bird strike, you identify the species from feathers.
Based on BLS zoologists and wildlife biologists (median about $72k).
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 wildlife biology; FAA-qualified airport wildlife biologist training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Zoology.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Small, specialized field.
Low risk for 10 years. Bird radar and AI help track threats; field surveys, hazing and habitat plans stay human.
Classes: Biology, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1023.
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.