Also called: Wildlife Crime Lab Analyst
Solves crimes against animals, like poaching and ivory smuggling, using DNA and lab science.
At the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's forensics lab, scientists identify species from feathers, bones, or ivory and link evidence to poachers.
Estimate.
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 or master's in biology, genetics, or forensic science.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Forensic Science, Genetics.
Growing much faster than average (about 13% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. DNA sequencing gets faster, but identifying species from evidence and linking it to poachers stays lab science.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Statistics, Environmental Science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4092.
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.