Also called: Pilot-Biologist, Wildlife Survey Pilot
A wildlife biologist who is also a pilot, flying low over Canada and Alaska each spring to count ducks for hunting rules.
Each May the pilot-biologist flies a float plane or small aircraft just 150 feet above lakes and marshes in straight lines, counting ducks out the window while an observer counts the other side. They talk into a recorder, land in remote towns for fuel, and fly for weeks. The counts set duck hunting seasons across North America.
Federal pay; very few positions.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Bachelor’s in wildlife biology plus a commercial pilot license with many flight hours.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Aviation, Ecology.
Growing about average. A tiny group within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Camera planes and AI counting are being tested, but low-level survey flying and bird ID still need pilot-biologists.
Classes: Biology, Physics, Geography.
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