Explore career options in wildlife biology
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment pathways available within the field of ecology and wildlife biology.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Graduates with an ecology and wildlife biology major can gain employment in a wide range of animal and land conservation and management roles. You may find opportunities in:
- conducting fauna surveys as part of ecological assessments
- protecting and re-introducing endangered wildlife
- rescuing and rehabilitating injured or sick animals
- undertaking habitat assessments
- communicating ecological information to the public.
You may also gain work in:
- developing and implementing local, regional or national species management plans in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations
- planning and policy development for sustainable management
- providing input into environmental impact assessments.
Career fields
(* denotes further study at postgraduate level likely to be required)
- Wildlife research and management*
- Parks and reserve management
- Environmental consulting
- Agriculture sector
- Conservation agencies
- Land management
- Animal park management and compliance
- Natural resource management
- Animal biosecurity services
- Animal transport services
- Animal rescue and rehabilitation
- Animal health and welfare policy
- Tourism (wildlife and ecotourism)
- Environmental education
- Veterinarian*
Employment roles
- Wildlife ecologist
- Conservation officer
- Ranger
- Wildlife spotter-catcher
- Wildlife management officer
- Bushland maintenance officer
- Zookeeper
- Parks maintenance coordinator
- Field assistant
- Conservation assessment officer
- Conservation and land management trainee
- Bush regeneration team member
- Field technical support representative
- Land management officer
- Conservation breeding adviser
- Wildlife hospital trainee
Occupation snapshot
Employed
5,100
Future demand
Strong
Weekly earnings
$1,146
Part-time share
25%
This data is based on the occupation profile for conservation officers retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Atlas website and YourCareer website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- Australian Public Service Jobs
- Adzuna wildlife jobs
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy - Jobs
- AusBiotech members directory
- Job Listings - EIANZ
- Environmental Jobs Network
- Evolve scientific recruitment
- Greenfinder – entry-level environmental jobs
- Kelly Scientific Resources
- New South Wales Government jobs
- NRM Jobs - environmental sector
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Research Career Jobs (Australia & New Zealand)
- Water Jobs
- GreenCareer
- Seek environmental jobs
- Jora
- Csiro
- Nature.com
Industry insight
Researchers from Griffith University are looking to collect cell samples of every marine species on the planet with the launch of Australia’s first Marine Wildlife Cell Bank. Australian Rivers Institute marine ecologist and eco-toxicologist Dr Jason van de Merwe said the cell bank was established to address the lack of available marine wildlife cell cultures for research purposes.
“Cell cultures are an increasingly valuable, ethical and novel tool for research into biological processes and health assessment of humans and animals,” Dr van de Merwe said.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Australian Wildlife Society
- Ecological Society of Australia
- Australasian Society for Ecotoxicology
- Australasian Wildlife Management Society (AWMS)
- Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation (WIRES)
- Zoo and Aquarium Association
- Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
- Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)
- Royal Zoological Society
- Birdlife Australia
- Society for Conservation Biology
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is committed to advancing sustainable development through comprehensive initiatives that promote economic prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and good governance for all.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.