CollegeMajors-1545635398-a92tz3.json

{
  "sid": "a92tz3",
  "link": "/r/CollegeMajors/comments/a92tz3/should_i_switch_from_wildlife_biology_to/",
  "title:": "Should I switch from Wildlife Biology to Environmental Science (College Major)?",
  "text": "I'm a sophomore in college right now and having a little mid-life crisis. My plan the whole time has been to be a *Wildlife Biology/Ecology major with an Environmental Issues minor* but the stuff I've been hearing in real life and reading on the internet is scaring me. Many people have been talking about how terribly unstable it is and how the pay is terrible. Or how they can't find a job. Is the pay really that bad and are there that few jobs? Struggling to find a job after spending 4 years on a degree does not sound appealing\n\n​\n\nThe whole concept of having to find a new job every year sounds terrible, and I don't really have much family or friends to fall back on if things don't work out well. Also the concept of moving from state to state to find a job sounds quite stressful. I suppose I'm willing to do it but a more stable job or at least a stable location would be much better for me\n\n​\n\nI'm also not super outdoorsy, which I'm beginning to realize may be a problem given the seemingly limited amount of jobs out there. I won't get to cherry pick a less outdoorsy job. Don't get me wrong, I like hiking and spending time outside and all that. But a lot of job descriptions have requirements like hiking 15 miles a day or long backpacking trips and that does not sound super appealing, especially as I get older and less athletic. I also cannot swim\n\n​\n\nI just finished my 3rd of 8 semesters. I could still feasibly switch to an *Environmental Science* major. I'm not as interested nor am I well informed about jobs in that realm, but environmental science still does interest me. Does that switch sound like a good idea given my situation? Are the jobs any more stable? Is the pay generally any better? Are there still jobs that let you get outside a little bit? \n\n​\n\nI'm just scared of getting out of college, not being able to find work, and having to wait tables the rest of my life\n\n\\-------------------------------\n\nI realize this is a terribly structured post so here are my questions -\n\nMain Questions:\n\n1. Is the pay really that low in wildlife biology?\n2. Are jobs really that hard to find in wildlife biology?\n3. Might a switch to an Environmental Science major be a good idea? Is the job market any better or are jobs more stable?\n\nSide Questions:\n\n1. What kind of community service is good for biology? Right now I just volunteer at animal shelter.\n2. How necessary is grad school for both wildlife bio and ES? I will have 0 debt coming out of college maybe that will make going to grad school easier.\n3. I'm outdoorsy but not super outdoorsy, will that likely be a problem?\n4. A lot of people say they can't find a job in this field and switched to a new one. How do you just switch to a new one without going back to school? Do they mean waiting tables or things like that, or what are the other options?",
  "author": "drmehmetoz",
  "created": 1545635398,
  "over_18": false,
  "upvotes": 2,
  "upvote_ratio": 1.0,
  "comments": {
    "ecjfh54": {
      "link": "/r/CollegeMajors/comments/a92tz3/should_i_switch_from_wildlife_biology_to/ecjfh54/",
      "text": ">Is the pay really that low in wildlife biology?\n\n[Here](https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Wildlife_Biologist/Salary) is the average pay of a wildlife biologist. There is only a 10-year projected growth rate of 4%.\n\n>Are jobs really that hard to find in wildlife biology?\n\nAgain, there is only a 4% projected growth rate for the next 10 years. Considering the amount of people graduating with a biology degree, that is a VERY small growth rate. Jobs will be competitive. You must also factor in all of the bio \"pre-med\" people who will not get accepted to medical school. Keep in mind that a \"wildlife biology\" degree is also more specialized than a general biology degree, which means that you might also have a harder time than those who graduate with a general B.S. in bio. Take a look at [this](https://www.indeed.com/forum/job/wildlife-biologist/Wildlife-biology-career/t99665) link.\n\n>Might a switch to an Environmental Science major be a good idea? Is the job market any better or are jobs more stable?\n\n[Here](https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/environmental-scientist-salary-SRCH_KO0,23.htm) is a link to the average salary of an environmental scientist (note that it is a bit higher than that of a wildlife biologist). There is a 10-year projected growth rate of 11%, which is MUCH better than wildlife biology.\n\n>What kind of community service is good for biology?\n\nI think volunteering at an animal shelter isn't a bad idea, but I would recommend trying to land an internship with a wildlife conservation center, national park, etc.; if you could shadow people in your desired occupation, that'd be great.\n\n>How necessary is grad school for wildlife bio and ES?\n\nThis really depends on what you plan on doing once you graduate. You will be able to get higher-level positions if you have an MS or Ph.D. in wildlife bio or ES. A higher-level position also *usually* directly correlates to a higher salary as well.\n\n>I'm outdoorsy, but not super outdoorsy, will that likely be a problem?\n\nAgain, I can't answer this without knowing exactly what you plan on going into. I'm going to assume that being outdoorsy is definitely a perk, though...if you're miserable after being outside for a couple of hours, then you might have to rethink your major. I will say that there are probably positions that don't require you to be out in the field per se, and you could probably be working in a lab that's in-doors (if that interests you).\n\n>A lot of people say they can't find a job in this field and switched to a new one. How do you just switch to a new one without going back to school? Do they mean waiting tables or things like that, or what are the other options?\n\nI'm going to assume that they switched into a field that's relatively related, but not *totally* the same. For instance, if they have a lot of computer programming experience from doing bio research, they can probably switch into something programming-related.\n\nHave you considered majoring in something like biochemistry? I'm assuming that you've had to take quite a few chemistry courses for the bio major (gen chem 1 & 2, organic chem 1 & 2..?). Industry jobs in chemistry/biochemistry are definitely where some more of the $$ is at, if you're truly concerned.",
      "author": "bitchassshortie",
      "created": 1545769270,
      "upvotes": 4,
      "replies": {}
    }
  },
  "updated": 1634059556
}