Lepidopterist's Salaries
- The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide salary data for the lepidopterist specialty, but for the broader category of biological scientists who study animals, technically called zoologists, along with wildlife biologists. Entomologists are zoologists who study insects, as ornithologists study birds, ichthyologists study fish and herpetologists study reptiles. The average salary for zoologists and wildlife biologists as of 2009 was $29.17 per hour, equaling $60,670 per year.
- CBSalary, a calculator provided by CareerBuilder, narrows zoologist salary data to the field of entomologists. The average salary for entomologists as of March 2011 is $57,535 per year. Graduates of bachelor's degree programs in entomology have a wide variety of opportunities. Government agencies hire entomologists to watch for newly introduced species and to work on the protection of environmental resources. Universities, colleges and community colleges hire entomologists to teach students. Zoos and botanical gardens also provide opportunities, as do facilities with butterfly houses, such as the Milwaukee Public Museum. Nonprofit organizations such as the Xerces Society have staff members and volunteers working on numerous projects, including a project to protect monarch butterflies.
- The middle 50 percent of entomologists on the earnings scale have salaries from about $41,900 to $79,750 per year in 2011, according to CBSalary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the middle 50-percent range for zoologists and wildlife biologists in 2009 at $44,830 to $71,990 per year.
- Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics sees fast job growth for biological scientists in general, opportunities for zoologists are limited because the size of this occupation is small. Efforts to protect the environment will drive some job growth in this field. Biological scientists are necessary for determining the effects of industry on the environment and the impact of activity such as pesticide spraying.
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Entomologists
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