Ecology Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Ecology major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Biology, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Biology, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$62,215

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$91,524

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$114,444

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.3%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$2,169,678

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Natural Sciences Managers
SOC: 11-9121
Occupation: Natural Sciences Managers
$161,180
100,870
N/A
N/A
Statisticians
SOC: 15-2041
Occupation: Statisticians
$103,300
29,800
N/A
N/A
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
SOC: 19-1023
Occupation: Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
$72,860
16,920
N/A
N/A
Biological Scientists, All Other
SOC: 19-1029
Occupation: Biological Scientists, All Other
$93,330
59,710
N/A
N/A
Conservation Scientists
SOC: 19-1031
Occupation: Conservation Scientists
$67,950
25,590
N/A
N/A
Epidemiologists
SOC: 19-1041
Occupation: Epidemiologists
$83,980
11,460
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Biological Scientists, All Other

9.4%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$93,33059,710
2023$91,10061,220
2022$87,30055,300
2021$82,53047,050
2020$85,29041,680

Conservation Scientists

6.1%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$67,95025,590
2023$68,75022,790
2022$64,46022,880
2021$63,75022,550
2020$64,02022,020

Biological Technicians

12.2%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$52,00076,190
2023$51,43076,990
2022$49,65073,710
2021$48,14076,150
2020$46,34080,640

Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary

-2.5%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$83,46053,250
2023$83,92052,050
2022$81,65049,920
2021$81,44047,690
2020$85,60051,500

Colleges offering Ecology

Maine Maritime Academy

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$22k

Earnings

$103k

University of Maryland-College Park

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$16k

Earnings

$69k

University of Southern California

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$42k

Earnings

$78k

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$15k

Earnings

$69k

Johns Hopkins University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$23k

Earnings

$96k