Science and environment
Labs, wildlife, weather, space, farms and forests.
28 careers
Life and lab
9BiochemistWork out the chemistry inside living cells, for a drug company, a hospital lab or a university.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 9 yrsDemandModerateBiologistStudy living things for a government, a university or a consulting firm. The degree is the easy part; the funding is the hard part.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateChemistAnalyse, formulate and improve materials for industry, government or a research lab.Typical pay$80kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateFood ScientistDesign what goes in the package, and make sure it is safe, stable and the same every time.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandGoodForensic ScientistAnalyse evidence in a government lab and defend the result in court. Very few jobs, and they go to chemists and biologists.Typical pay$80kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandLimitedLaboratory TechnicianRun the tests that keep water, food, fuel and medicine safe. Two years of college and you are working.Typical pay$62kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandModerateMarine BiologistStudy ocean life on three coasts. Popular, competitive, and mostly funded by fisheries and government science.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandLimitedMicrobiologistWork with bacteria, viruses and fungi in a hospital, a brewery, a water plant or a vaccine lab.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateWildlife BiologistCount, track and manage wild animals so governments and companies can decide what happens to their habitat.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerate
Physics, space and numbers
4AstronomerStudy stars, planets and galaxies with telescopes and code. Almost everyone in this job has a doctorate.Typical pay$117kTo qualify9 to 12 yrsDemandLimitedMathematicianProve things, model things, and solve problems other people cannot state clearly yet.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 10 yrsDemandModeratePhysicistWork out how matter and energy behave, then build instruments to prove it. The longest science training, and the widest exits.Typical pay$117kTo qualify8 to 11 yrsDemandModerateStatisticianDesign studies, measure things properly, and say how sure you actually are.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGood
Earth and weather
4GeologistRead rocks to find metals, water and oil, and to work out what the ground will do next.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateHydrologistWork out where water goes: floods, droughts, groundwater and the rivers a city drinks from.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodMeteorologistForecast storms, warn people in time, and study how the atmosphere is changing.Typical pay$112kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateOceanographerMeasure the ocean: its currents, chemistry, life and ice. Often from a ship, in bad weather.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 10 yrsDemandModerate
Environment and conservation
4EcologistStudy how living things and their habitats fit together, then tell governments and builders what a project will do to them.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateEnvironmental ScientistMeasure pollution, assess projects before they are built, and hold industry to the rules.Typical pay$94kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGoodEnvironmental TechnicianTake the samples, run the instruments and gather the field data the reports are built on. Two years of college gets you in.Typical pay$70kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGoodPark WardenEnforce the law inside national parks. Peace officer powers, a backcountry office and very few positions.Typical pay$75kTo qualify2 to 5 yrsDemandLimited
Farming, forestry and fishing
7AgronomistThe crop doctor. You walk fields, read soil tests, and tell farmers what to plant, feed and spray.Typical pay$83kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandGoodAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish on a farm in the water. Feeding, health checks, nets and boats.Typical pay$67kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodCommercial FisherCatch fish, crab or lobster for a living. High pay in a good season, and one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateFarmerRun a business that grows food. Long hours, big machinery, and weather you cannot control.Typical pay$62kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerateForesterDecide how a forest gets cut, protected and regrown, and sign your name to the plan.Typical pay$98kTo qualify5 to 7 yrsDemandGoodForestry TechnicianThe person who actually measures the forest: plots, plants, roads, cut blocks and regrowth.Typical pay$69kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGoodGreenhouse GrowerRun the crop inside a glass building: light, water, feed and pests, twelve months a year.Typical pay$45kTo qualifyup to 3 yrsDemandGood