Fish and Wildlife Jobs
By Eric Hammer
We took a look recently and the Department of Fish and Wildlife
Jobs board (technically, they are the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, which under the Department of the Interior,
though people often confuse the service with a "department"
of the government so we use the terms interchangeably) and were
pleasantly surprised to find that the variety of jobs at the
Service are extensive. There is everything you might expect,
including such things as science jobs and administrative jobs.
However, there are also law enforcement positions with the Service
and even jobs intended for students.
In essence, the Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible not
just for studying nature but also for enforcing various laws
regarding conservation. If you've ever seen the Mathew Broderick
film "The Freshman," then you've seen what some employees
of the Fish and Wildlife Service do. Law enforcement agents for
the Service operate in much the same way the FBI does, though
they limit their law enforcement activities to working with things
that are in the purview of the Service.
Other fish and wildlife jobs include working as marine biologists
and as a conservationist in nature reserves. Typically, you will
be working within the borders of the United States however since
the service does not generally work overseas.
How Much Can You Make?
Salaries for jobs with the Service run the gamut. They range
from entry level clerical positions paying in the range of $18,000-$25,000
all the way to wildlife biologists, who make in the range of
$70,000 per year according to Indeed.com. There also some positions
that pay even more, however they tend to be rarer and harder
to get, usually involving management positions within the Service.
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Don't forget that you can also work for the Department of
Fish and Wildlife (sometimes called Department of Fish and Game)
in most states since every single state has their own department
as well.
You should also consider working in private industry as a
marine or wildlife biologist, where you can potentially earn
more money than can be had from fish and wildlife jobs at the
Service.
Of course, the advantage of working for the government as
opposed to working for private industry is that you tend to get
better benefits and, once you pass your probation period, it's
harder to fire you from your job than it is to fire you in private
industry.
Qualifications / Requirements
Generally, you'll need a college degree in order to work at
most positions with the Service of fish and wildlife. You'll
need for example a degree in marine biology to work as a fish
biologist or a degree in plant biology for a job as a plant biologist
with the Service. For law enforcement positions with the Service,
expect to need a degree in criminal justice.
Clerical positions with the Service may be available without
a degree, however in most cases, government agencies prefer to
hire college graduates so be sure to check on the individual
job requirements for whatever position you happen to be interested
in.
First Steps
Consider volunteering with the Service. They have a number
of volunteer jobs which will get you in the door and help you
decide if this is the life you want to lead. If you are sure
however, then your first step is to get a degree and then to
apply for a position. Check the current job listings with the
Service to find out what they happen to have available so that
you can choose an appropriate position and be sure that you match
their requirements, which will be clearly stated in the job listing.
Resources
Check out these helpful resources to find out more about fish
and wildlife jobs at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish
and Wildlife Service - There is a wealth of information here
about how to apply, what kind of jobs are open at the department
and what the requirements are in order to land a job with them.
United
States Department of Interior - Technically, the Department
of Fish and Wildlife for the United States is not a department.
Rather, it is a service under the Department of the Interior.
Check here for the overall department.
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