Science and environment
Labs, wildlife, weather, space, farms and forests.
28 careers
Life and lab
9BiochemistWork out what molecules do inside living cells, then use that to make medicines and tests.$127kTypical pay4 to 11 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandBiologistStudy living things, in a lab or out in the field, and turn what you find into reports people act on.$99kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandChemistFind out what something is made of, or make something that did not exist yesterday. A bachelor's degree starts you; a doctorate decides your ceiling.$91kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandFood ScientistWork out why food spoils, how to stop it, and what has to change before a new product reaches a shelf.$89kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandForensic ScientistAnalyze evidence in a crime laboratory and then defend your findings under cross examination.$72kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandLaboratory TechnicianRun the experiments, keep the instruments honest and record every result. The person who actually does the science at the bench.$58kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMarine BiologistStudy life in the ocean, mostly fish and plankton rather than dolphins, and spend years on seasonal contracts before anything permanent.$77kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMicrobiologistGrow, identify and outsmart the organisms too small to see, in medicine, food, water and drug manufacturing.$88kTypical pay4 to 9 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandWildlife BiologistCount, track and manage wild animal populations so decisions about land and hunting are based on evidence instead of guesses.$77kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
Physics, space and numbers
4AstronomerStudy stars, planets and galaxies for a living. A median of $128,820 a year, very few jobs, and a long road through a doctorate.$129kTypical pay9 to 14 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMathematicianWork on the math itself. A tiny job title, a long training, and a skill that every other field wants.$127kTypical pay6 to 10 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPhysicistWork out how the universe behaves, then prove it. Almost everyone in this job holds a doctorate.$172kTypical pay9 to 11 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandStatisticianDesign the study, run the numbers, and say honestly how sure you are.$106kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
Earth and weather
4GeologistRead the rock. Find the water, the metal or the fault line, and tell people what is under their feet.$102kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandHydrologistMeasure where water goes, how much there is, and what happens when there is too much or too little.$97kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandMeteorologistRead the atmosphere with math, radar and models, then tell people what is coming and how sure you are.$99kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandOceanographerStudy the ocean: its currents, its chemistry, its floor and the life in it. Long schooling, real ships, and a lot of the work happens on a laptop.$102kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
Environment and conservation
4EcologistStudy how living things and the places they live fit together, then tell people what happens when that breaks.$82kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandEnvironmental ScientistFind out what is in the air, water and soil, then write the report that makes somebody deal with it.$82kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandEnvironmental TechnicianTake the samples, run the gear, clean up the spill. Two years of school and you are on site.$60kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandPark RangerProtect public land and the people on it. Part teacher, part law enforcement, part search and rescue.$73kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
Farming, forestry and fishing
7AgronomistThe science of soil and crops. You tell farmers what to plant, what to feed it and why the yield dropped.$79kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish for food. Outdoors, on the water, in a small industry the country keeps saying it wants to grow.$50kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandCommercial FisherCatch fish and shellfish for a living. No tuition, no degree, and no guarantee of what you make.$37kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandFarmerGrow crops or raise livestock and run the business around them. Land is the hard part, not the work.$90kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandForesterManage whole forests: what gets cut, what gets planted, what gets protected. A four-year degree and a truck.$76kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandForestry TechnicianThe person who actually does the work in the woods: cruising timber, planting, thinning, and often fighting fire.$55kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandGreenhouse GrowerRun a crop under glass. You control the light, the heat, the water and the bugs, and the plants tell you every day whether you got it right.$90kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand