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Date: 09/18/2025

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management. May collect and analyze biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water habitats.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Collect and dissect animal specimens and examine specimens under microscope.
    • Check for, and ensure compliance with, environmental laws, and notify law enforcement when violations are identified.
    • Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs.
    • Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them.
    • Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance wildlife.
    • Coordinate preventive programs to control the outbreak of wildlife diseases.
    • Prepare collections of preserved specimens or microscopic slides for species identification and study of development or disease.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
    • Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options.
    • Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
    • Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
    • Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
    • Collect and dissect animal specimens and examine specimens under microscope.
    • Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
    • Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
    • Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
    • Conduct literature reviews.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    Knowledge

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 75030/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 36.07/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 220
    • Yearly Projected Openings 20

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Cooperation
    • Integrity
    • Initiative
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Air compressors
    • Air rifles or air handguns
    • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
    • Animal control traps
    • Archery bows
    • Axes
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Binoculars
    • Boat Trailer
    • Calipers
    • Calorimeters
    • Canoes or kayaks
    • Clinometers
    • Commercial fishing nets
    • Compasses
    • Conductivity meters
    • Counters
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Dissection kits or supplies
    • Dissolved oxygen meters
    • Diving instruments or accessories
    • Dropping pipettes
    • Dry heat or hot air sterilizers
    • Drying cabinets or ovens
    • Egg inspection or collecting equipment
    • Entomological catching equipment
    • Flow sensors
    • Flying insect control traps
    • Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
    • Forestry increment borers
    • Fume hoods or cupboards
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Hard hats
    • Laboratory balances
    • Laboratory beakers
    • Laboratory forceps
    • Laboratory funnels
    • Laboratory graduated cylinders
    • Ladders
    • Laser printers
    • Magnifiers
    • Masks or accessories
    • Masks or fins or snorkels
    • Micrometers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal motorized watercraft
    • Petri plates or dishes
    • Photo attachments for microscopes
    • Pisciculture supplies
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Protective gloves
    • Pull spring balances
    • Radio frequency transmitters or receivers
    • Rafts
    • Rangefinders
    • Recreational motorboats
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Safety harnesses or belts
    • Salinity meter
    • Sample changers
    • Single gas monitors
    • Sledge hammer
    • Snowmobiles or snow scooter
    • Specimen collection container
    • Spectrometers
    • Sporting traps
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Stereo or dissecting light microscopes
    • Still cameras
    • Surface thermometers
    • Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines
    • Tape measures
    • Telescopes
    • Test sieves
    • Two way radios
    • Ultra cold or ultralow upright cabinets or freezers
    • Volumeters
    • Water pumps
    • Water samplers
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Geographic information system
    • Internet browser software
    • Mobile location based services software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software
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