Also called: Wildlife Crossing Biologist, Transportation Ecologist
Studies where animals get hit by cars and designs overpasses, tunnels and fences that help wildlife cross highways safely.
You check trail cameras in a culvert under a highway and count the deer, bobcats and bears that used it this month. Then you meet DOT engineers to pick spots for a new wildlife bridge where crashes are highest.
Estimated; state DOT and research jobs.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor’s in wildlife biology or ecology; a master’s is common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science.
Growing faster than average. Federal funding for wildlife crossings started in 2022.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI counts animals on camera footage; fieldwork and design judgment stay human.
Classes: Biology, Environmental science, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2041.
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.