ethologist job description and salary
Ethologist Job Description and Salary
An ethologist observes animals, analyzes their behavior, and documents the findings. The job description and salary of an ethologist is outlined in the Buzzle write-up below.
"Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment."
Ethology is a branch of zoology that deals with the study of animals and their behavior. But then, you must have heard of the term 'behaviorists' as well, they decode animal behavior and suggest remedies. What does an ethologist do, then? What does he study? Well, to begin with, even though behaviorists and ethologists share the same theory regarding animal behavior, the way of approach is different for both.
As of today, behaviorists have a different educational background, and depend on scientific findings to change animal behavior. On the contrary, ethologists conduct field studies to find out the different ways an animal behaves under different circumstances. In the paragraphs below, you will learn what an ethologist does, how to become an ethologist, and how much he earns.
―Jane Goodall, English ethologist and anthropologist
Job Description
- As mentioned earlier, ethologists study animal behavior.
- They use laboratory information and combine the same with extensive field trips to observe and analyze the way animals behave.
- Many ethologists opt for teaching jobs at universities as well.
- Those with a doctorate can go in for advanced research on special animals, make detailed notes, and publish papers.
- Many begin as educators at zoos; having studied animal behavior, they can guide visitors and create effective displays.
- They also qualify to become research assistants and work in laboratories.
- When ethologists undertake a particular assignment outdoors, they closely observe animals, take notes, photographs, conduct experiments to document findings, study the influence of their behavior on reproduction, etc.
- They even work in pharmaceutical companies, in health-related projects, to understand and interpret animal (rats, rabbits, etc.) behavior after a particular drug is tested on them. These observations help scientists link the progression of the disease.
- They are hired by many private research institutions to assist in wildlife programs.
- They study reproductive patterns habitat effects for private environmental consulting firms.
- The help improve and maintain the health of animals in zoos, aquariums, museums, animal sanctuaries, and wildlife parks.
- They help understand why and how animals behave in a particular manner, how they react to feeding, sleeping, and other habits.
- They also help understand animals' possessive nature towards their young ones, their adaptive value, changes in gene patterns, etc.
Requirements
- Ethologists require sound knowledge in subjects, like biology, genetics, ecology, evolution, etc.
- After completing his/her post-secondary education, an aspiring ethologist can go in for a bachelor's degree in ethology or any of the above related disciplines.
- A specialization in a chosen area along with a doctorate will help if he wants to carry out individual research.
- Meanwhile, he can begin to work at zoos and laboratories.
- A fact about ethologists is that most of them go in for further studies, instead of beginning at an entry-level after their bachelor's. The reason being that an advanced degree opens further avenues of work and employment.
- During the course, an aspirant will study subjects, like animal behavior, cognitive ethology (which is a branch of ethology related to how animal behavior is influenced by conscious awareness), comparative psychology (another sub-discipline of ethology), neurobiology, neuroscience, ecology, genetics, evolution, etc.
- He will also learn about the tools used by an ethologist, i.e., regular stationary, graphic calculator, deer blind, binoculars, stopwatch, etc.
Salary
- The average annual salary of an ethologist (experienced) is more than USD 55,000.
- Beginners are paid in excess of USD 30,000, while experienced ethologists can earn more than USD 100,000.
- Ethologists mostly work onsite, studying animal behavior, while many work in zoos and labs. This is a contributing factor to their paycheck.
- The following table gives the approximate state-wise salaries for those working in the field of ethology.
| Alabama | USD 56,000 |
| Alaska | USD 40,000 |
| Arizona | USD 45,000 |
| Arkansas | USD 56,000 |
| California | USD 59,000 |
| Colorado | USD 49,000 |
| Connecticut | USD 64,000 |
| Delaware | USD 48,000 |
| Florida | USD 51,000 |
| Georgia | USD 63,000 |
| Hawaii | USD 34,000 |
| Idaho | USD 36,000 |
| Illinois | USD 63,000 |
| Indiana | USD 53,000 |
| Iowa | USD 54,000 |
| Kansas | USD 50,000 |
| Kentucky | USD 48,000 |
| Louisiana | USD 49,000 |
| Maine | USD 49,000 |
| Maryland | USD 57,000 |
| Massachusetts | USD 66,000 |
| Michigan | USD 56,000 |
| Minnesota | USD 48,000 |
| Mississippi | USD 58,000 |
| Missouri | USD 54,000 |
| Montana | USD 46,000 |
| Nebraska | USD 40,000 |
| Nevada | USD 42,000 |
| New Hampshire | USD 54,000 |
| New Jersey | USD 60,000 |
| New Mexico | USD 48,000 |
| New York | USD 67,000 |
| North Carolina | USD 53,000 |
| North Dakota | USD 49,000 |
| Ohio | USD 53,000 |
| Oklahoma | USD 51,000 |
| Oregon | USD 53,000 |
| Pennsylvania | USD 53,000 |
| Rhode Island | USD 50,000 |
| South Carolina | USD 54,000 |
| South Dakota | USD 42,000 |
| Tennessee | USD 51,000 |
| Texas | USD 53,000 |
| Utah | USD 43,000 |
| Vermont | USD 49,000 |
| Virginia | USD 56,000 |
| Washington | USD 57,000 |
| West Virginia | USD 52,000 |
| Wisconsin | USD 49,000 |
| Wyoming | USD 45,000 |
Work Environment
- Ethologist jobs can be found in areas where animal research is prevalent.
- An ethologist who regularly goes for field work mostly works onsite, others may work in zoos, laboratories, universities, etc.
- Unfortunately, due to deforestation and related factors, the predicted job growth in this sector, according the BLS, amounts to just 5% over the next decade.
- As an ethologist, you will mostly be in the company of animals.
- Your job is to make them comfortable, study their habitat, their nature, their behavior in different circumstances, etc.
- You may also need to conduct certain experiments to determine their behavioral patterns.
Famous Ethologists
- Charles Darwin
- Jane Goodall
- B. F. Skinner
- Dian Fossey
- Richard Dawkins
- Ivan Pavlov
- E. O. Wilson
- Patricia McConnell