Also called: Wildlife Hazard Manager
Keeps birds and animals away from runways so they do not hit airplanes.
Airport wildlife biologists patrol runways, scare off geese with lasers and pyrotechnics, manage habitat, and study bird-strike data. The 'Miracle on the Hudson' showed why this job matters.
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; USDA Wildlife Services hires many.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Biology, Ecology.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Bird-detecting radar helps, but patrolling runways, hazing geese and managing habitat stay boots-on-the-ground work.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, Statistics, Earth Science.
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.