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Wildlife Management

Instructional content is defined in code 03.0601.

Types of Degrees Wildlife Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Wildlife Management have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	14
Associate’s Degree	265
Bachelor’s Degree	1,714
Master’s Degree	387
Doctor’s Degree	39

What Wildlife Management Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Wildlife Management emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Wildlife Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Wildlife Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Wildlife Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Wildlife Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Wildlife Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Wildlife Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Wildlife Management graduates include:

• College Professor
• Environmental Conservation Professor
• Forest Products Teacher
• Range and Road Instructor
• Forest Pathology Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Forest Pathology Professor
• Ecology Professor
• Forestry Faculty Member
• Professor
• Forestry Professor
• Biometrics Instructor
• Forest Biometrics Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Timber Management Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Wildlife Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.7%
Doctoral degree	29.6%
Master’s degree	17.4%
Post-doctoral training	10.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Postsecondary certificate	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%
Some college courses	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Wildlife Management?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 55.1% women and 44.9% men among Wildlife Management graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,332	55.1%
Men	1,087	44.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Wildlife Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,838	76.0%
Asian	41	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	289	11.9%
Black or African American	43	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	20	0.8%
Two or More Races	103	4.3%
Race Unknown	61	2.5%
International Students	24	1.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Wildlife Management Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Wildlife Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,560
4 years	$38,597
5 years	$44,355

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,355 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Wildlife Management Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Wildlife Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	1	3
Master’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Wildlife Management Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Wildlife Management graduates earn a median of $38,597 four years after completion — roughly 2% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Natural Resources Conservation	32,361
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	23,853
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	3,090
Forestry	2,460
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management	407
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other	132
NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.