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Herpetologist.
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by Drew on December 12, 2002
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I did not know where to post this so i put it here since its the most active..
So for the last 3-4 years i have been keeping alot of different snakes, lizards, alot of reptiles of many species.. I'am currently contemplating pursuing a career in network administration (computer stuff) but i have always dreamed of being a herpetologist even before I was keeping reptiles (took alot of convincing for my mother)this is a absolute serious question and i hope you post the truthful answer as some people are ashamed to answer this question correctly. Which makes no sense as long as you are happy with what you are doing i think that should be the main thing when pursuing a career.
Anyway babbling..
what is the pay like for zoologist/herpologist?
I cant find much info on the net about these things, but im dying to know since i am now having a change of mind and might finally pursue my dreams.
Thanks in advance,
Drew
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RE: Herpetologist.
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by Snakeman1982 on December 12, 2002
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Most biologists don't study animals for the money, they do it for the love of nature and are totally dedicated to it. Good thing too because biologists don't make a lot compared to other professionals. People who go to college and major in business, marketing, etc... generally just want to leave college with a degree that will make them money and don't know or care what they want to get into. They plan on working till they are 55 and retire for the rest of their days. It doesn't matter how much a biologist makes however because most biologists don't retire. When you have a true passion for something you will do the work without pay and you'll do it till you die with no regrets. Biologists take much harder classes in college and then go on to graduate school where they become doctors in biology and they don't make hardly anything compared to a person who comes out with a bachelor's degree in engineering.
Herpetology is a very competitive field with some of the most passionate individuals who all fight for the best jobs and most recognition. Don't do it for the money because you'll probably be disappointed with today's standards. The best paid jobs for herpetologists are working at Universities but then you do very little research and you are mostly just a teacher. True field biologists have to live off the grant money they get for doing and publishing research.
Some of the best websites to find out what herpetologists really do are:
http://www.ku.edu/~ssar/career.html
http://199.245.200.110/pubs/herpjobs.htm
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RE: Herpetologist.
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by zetekitoxin on December 13, 2002
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Having recently quit a job as a reptile keeper at an AZA accredited zoo, I can tell you that pay varies. At the institution I worked for starting keeper pay was $20,000/year. This is for a keeper with a bachelors degree. This is on the low end for the industry. On the high end are Institutions like San Diego and Philly, where the pay can be as much as $30,000 - 40,000 to start. Unionized keepers and keepers at very well funded institutions get paid more than those of us at poorer or non-unionized institutions. (This is not a union endorsement!)
Keepers have a varying ability to do field work too. My institution provided opportunities to do field work in the local area as well as paying for keepers to go to other countries for zoo-sponsored research projects. Several keepers I know also found their own grant money to fund their own projects. Some of these keepers were given paid time off and some used their vacation time, depending on the projects.
Higher paying jobs in the zoo industry with more opportunity to do research usually require a Master's or a PhD.
However, Snakeman is right. I definitely was NOT a zookeeper for the great pay. I did it because I got to do things like be involved in first time ever captive breedings and work daily with animals that most people can only dream of working with.
-Meredith
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RE: Herpetologist.
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by BGF on December 28, 2002
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Definately do it. If you are passionate about what you do, everything else works out. Somehow, it just all comes together. If you get a Ph.D., do it somewhere you would like to live in. The Ph.D. years are total party years (I had a very well developed postgraduate bastard stage ;-). Get the most out of them (you'll still have plenty of time to patch a thesis together ;-p Figure on one shit job afterwards (like the crap one I just slogged through in Singabore). As for the pay, Sing paid well. I'm back in Oz for slightly less pay but greatly increased taxes. A pretty decent financial hit. However, this is fine by me since the quality of life is so tremendously improved.
Cheers
BGF
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