undergradly.
Major · Natural Resources & Conservation

Science training for mostly public-sector employers

Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management trains students in wildlife biology, marine and aquatic ecology, habitat management, and the policy and operations of conservation agencies. About 1,947 degrees are awarded each year across 84 colleges, and bachelor's completers report a five-year earnings median of $46,081 — modest for a science degree, reflecting the major's heavy employer concentration in state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and seasonal-technician pipelines. The career list shows conservation scientists at $67,950 and zoologists/wildlife biologists at $72,860 as the bachelor's-entry destinations, with forestry and conservation postsecondary teaching at $100,830 requiring a doctorate.

Schools offering
84
Annual completions
1,947
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$45k

About this major

Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management prepares students to conserve and manage wilderness areas, wildlife populations, aquatic and marine life, and the regulatory and operational frameworks that govern them. The CIP definition covers wildlife biology, marine and aquatic biology, environmental science, freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, natural resources management and policy, outdoor recreation and parks management, the design and operation of natural and artificial wildlife habitats, applicable law and regulations, and related administrative and communications skills. Coursework typically combines biological-science foundations (general biology, zoology, ecology, genetics, statistics) with applied wildlife and fisheries-management courses, hands-on field techniques (radio-telemetry, population sampling, habitat assessment), and regulatory and policy exposure.

Program scale is moderate and land-grant-concentrated. About 1,947 degrees are awarded each year across 84 colleges, with the top ten dominated by land-grant universities: Oregon State (105), UC Davis (91), California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (88), University of Florida (84), Tarleton State (84), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (78), Virginia Tech (71), West Virginia University (61), Michigan State (59), and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (55). The land-grant concentration reflects institutional infrastructure — field stations, research forests, dedicated wildlife and fisheries faculty, cooperative-extension relationships with state agencies — that wildlife programs require and that is expensive to build outside the land-grant network. Cal Poly Humboldt is the notable exception, having built a specialized reputation in wildlife and natural-resources programs without land-grant designation.

The earnings picture reflects the field's employer mix rather than the degree's academic content. Bachelor's completers report a five-year median of $46,081, with associate's completers at $35,441 — low for a science degree but consistent with the sector's structure. The career list shows three destinations: conservation scientists at $67,950 median wage with 3.4% projected growth (bachelor's-entry), zoologists and wildlife biologists at $72,860 with 1.6% growth (bachelor's-entry), and forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary at $100,830 with 4.0% growth (doctoral-required). The gap between the $46,081 five-year median and the $67,950–$72,860 named-career wages is explained by the typical entry pattern: graduates cycle through 2–4 seasonal field-technician appointments (paying $14–$18 per hour, often with housing) over one to three years before landing permanent positions. Primary employers are state fish-and-wildlife departments, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, nonprofit conservation organizations, and university research stations — all operating on public-sector or nonprofit pay scales. The related-majors data confirms adjacency to Natural Resources/Conservation, General (1,555 completions, broader management track), Ecology (794, theoretical-research track), Forestry, General (765, managed-forest track), and Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy (742, policy-forward).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Conservation scientists $68k +3.4% Bachelor's degree
Zoologists and wildlife biologists $73k +1.6% Bachelor's degree
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary $101k +4.0% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$45k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$35k

Bachelor's

$46k

Who this major is for

Students committed to wildlife, fisheries, or conservation work and who understand the field's employer structure — public-sector and nonprofit dominance, seasonal-technician entry pipeline, modest wages compensated by mission alignment and benefits — are the core audience. Comfort with field conditions (remote postings, physical work, long hours in weather), biological-science coursework rigor, and the patience required to cycle through seasonal appointments before landing permanent positions all indicate strong fit. Students targeting permanent state or federal agency employment should prioritize summer internships with their target agency, relationships with faculty who collaborate with agency biologists, and strong quantitative methods training (statistics, GIS) that increasingly differentiates applicants. Students considering graduate school should use the bachelor's to build research experience and faculty recommendations; master's-level advancement is the typical gatekeeping credential beyond mid-career technical roles.

Reconsider this major if the goal is high-earning science-sector employment rather than conservation work specifically. Private-sector biology roles cluster in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and industrial research employers that generally hire from Ecology, Molecular Biology, or Biochemistry rather than from this applied wildlife track. If the draw is environmental work at the policy or corporate sustainability level, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy (742 completions) or Energy and Environmental Policy (separate program) are more directly aligned. If the interest is ecological research and academic science, Ecology (794 completions, in Biological Sciences) builds a stronger theoretical foundation for PhD applications. If the interest is outdoor recreation management rather than species-specific wildlife work, Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism in this same concentration may fit better. Finally, be realistic about the seasonal-technician expectation: the $46,081 five-year bachelor's median reflects a career pattern that includes multiple short-term field appointments before permanent placement, and this is the normal path rather than a sign of a failed job search. Students unable to tolerate 2–3 years of seasonal work across multiple states should consider whether the field's entry structure matches their life circumstances.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 0 105 105
University of California-Davis Davis, CA 0 91 91
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA 0 88 88
University of Florida Gainesville, FL 0 84 84
Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX 0 84 84
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI 0 78 78
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 0 71 71
West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 0 61 61
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 0 59 59
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN 0 55 55
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Natural Resources/Conservation, General

1,555 completions/yr

Ecology

794 completions/yr

Forestry, General

765 completions/yr

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General

742 completions/yr

Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture

418 completions/yr

Environmental Biology

366 completions/yr

Forest Sciences and Biology

188 completions/yr

Forest Management/Forest Resources Management

170 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

Why does a science-heavy bachelor's pay only $46,081 at the five-year mark?
Employer mix. The major's career pipeline runs overwhelmingly through state fish-and-wildlife departments, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, state parks agencies, nonprofit conservation organizations (Nature Conservancy, Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, regional land trusts), and university research stations. Those employers operate on public-sector or nonprofit pay scales that sit well below private-sector science-employer wages. Entry-level work also runs heavily through seasonal field-technician roles ($14–$18 per hour equivalent, often with housing provided) that graduates take for one to three years before landing permanent positions. The $46,081 five-year bachelor's median captures this pattern: graduates enter the field at low wages, cycle through seasonal work or AmeriCorps assignments, and eventually land permanent conservation-scientist or biologist roles at $67,950–$72,860 after a few years in the pipeline.
What role does graduate school play in this field?
Graduate school meaningfully changes the career trajectory, but is not strictly required for permanent agency employment. The career list shows conservation scientists ($67,950, 3.4% growth) and zoologists and wildlife biologists ($72,860, 1.6% growth) with bachelor's as typical entry education — these are genuinely bachelor's-accessible roles. However, higher-earning and more selective positions (species-specific biologist roles at federal agencies, regional-manager positions, research-scientist work at universities and government labs) increasingly require a master's, and the forestry and conservation science postsecondary teacher role on the list at $100,830 requires a doctoral degree. A practical reading: the bachelor's is sufficient to enter the field, the master's is the typical gatekeeping credential for advancement beyond mid-career technical roles, and the PhD is required for academic and senior research positions.
Which schools lead the program and why are they all land-grants?
The top ten is almost entirely land-grant universities: Oregon State (105), UC Davis (91), Cal Poly Humboldt (88), University of Florida (84), Tarleton State (84), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (78), Virginia Tech (71), West Virginia University (61), Michigan State (59), and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (55). Land-grant institutions were created specifically to house agricultural, mechanical, and natural-resource sciences, and that legacy funds the field stations, research forests, and cooperative-extension relationships with state wildlife agencies that wildlife programs require. The practical consequence for students is significant: top programs have direct pipelines into state wildlife agencies in their regions, through summer field technicians, applied research projects, and faculty relationships with agency biologists. Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State) is an unusual exception — it is not a land-grant but has built a specialized reputation in wildlife and natural-resources programs.
How does this major compare with Ecology, Environmental Biology, or Natural Resources/Conservation?
The related-majors data shows useful distinctions. Natural Resources/Conservation, General (1,555 completions) is the broader management-and-policy track, with less emphasis on specific taxa and more on systems-level resource management. Ecology (794 completions, in Biological Sciences) is the scientific-theory track focused on ecosystem and population dynamics across organisms — stronger preparation for academic research, weaker direct pipeline to wildlife-agency employment. Environmental Biology (366 completions, in Biological Sciences) sits between ecology and applied conservation. Forestry, General (765 completions) focuses on managed forest systems rather than wildlife specifically. Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management is the species-and-habitat-focused applied track that feeds most directly into the wildlife-biologist and conservation-scientist pipeline at federal and state agencies. For prospective students, the practical choice depends on whether the target is wildlife-specific applied work (this major), broader resource management (Natural Resources), ecological theory and research (Ecology), or working forests (Forestry).
What does a realistic first job look like for a recent graduate?
Most commonly, a seasonal field-technician position lasting 3–6 months over a summer, often in a remote location with provided housing, paying $14–$18 per hour. Typical duties include radio-telemetry tracking, habitat surveys, fish sampling, vegetation inventories, hunter-check station staffing, or research-assistantship work for university or agency biologists. Graduates usually piece together 2–4 seasonal appointments (a summer in Montana with USFS, a winter in Florida with a sea turtle program, a spring in North Carolina with a state DNR) before landing a permanent or multi-year term position. AmeriCorps placements with state conservation corps are another common bridge. Permanent entry-level positions (fisheries technician, wildlife biologist I, conservation ranger) typically pay $38K–$48K with government benefits, consistent with the $46,081 five-year bachelor's median. The seasonal-then-permanent pattern is culturally central to the field and understood by employers — it is not a sign of underemployment, but the normal entry path.