Some of the people who help wildlife are animal biologists who have college degrees (bachelor’s degrees), master’s degrees, or doctorates (PhDs). Others might be wildlife veterinarians, who have graduated from veterinary schools (DVM) after graduating from college. They probably have assistants who have different levels of education, depending on what they do. These assistants probably have much lower salaries.

If you go to this site: click here , you can search for information on different jobs. If you search for veterinarian, it will take you here: veterinarians . You will see that it lists a median wage.

Median means that half are above and half are below. The actual amount any vet makes will depend on things like where they work, how long they have worked there, and who they work for. For example, if a vet works for a non-profit organization, they may not make as much money as if they worked somewhere else.

Wildlife biologists have a wide range of degrees and duties, so their median salary is lower: see here . Wildlife biologists with advanced degrees would usually be making a lot more than those without them. A veterinary technician ( veterinary technician ) would make a lot less, but might only need an associate’s degree.

Right now, you can prepare for degrees working with animals by taking classes in Science and Math. If you want to travel, foreign languages are useful. Learning to sew well is helpful if you want be good at putting in stitches.

Volunteering at a local shelter is a good way to find out what you would like to do later on. It will also give you good connections.

What you are describing sound most similar to a veterinarian. You can carve a path to vet school in many ways, but in high school, you should take Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math as those classes will help prepare you for a Science major in college. In college, you can pick any major but you must have a certain set (pre requisites) of college classes that prepare you for vet school. Most students major in some area of Biology because those pre req classes fit those majors. You also need many hours of vet clinic/office experience before applying.

You should consider volunteering at a zoo or wildlife care center as well. Entrance into vet school is very competitive, so you do need good grades, too. You also have to take a standardized exam. Keep in mind that tracking in one of those majors and preparing for vet school also sets you up for many other careers - in college you get exposed to new ideas and subjects that can totally change your direction (I have a friend who started out as a Sociology major and is now an Astrobiologist!). Once you get to college, you can seek advice from advisers who are there to help you track into professional school. While you can go to college anywhere, you can consider doing your undergraduate work at a school that has a vet school or at least a good animal science department. Many students in CA go to UC Davis for the opportunity to get involved in vet research and gain experience as undergraduates. You can learn about their pre-vet and vet programs on the school website(s). Cal Poly SLO is also popular. Out of state, there are many great schools as well.

It's wonderful that you have a passion that can provide direction. Starting down a path will lead to many branch points and possibilities as you learn more about certain subjects and careers. Good luck!

What you're talking about is a wildlife veterinarian, yes. I'm not sure what the degrees are for that - the person you would want to ask would be an academic advisor when you get to college (yes, that far away). I suspect you'll want a degree in veterinary medicine and possibly a minor in wildlife biology, but you'll have to talk to them. You will certainly need a college degree and probably a medical graduate degree as well. You're going to be taking a lot of biology classes, possibly wildlife management classes, as well as basic stuff that anybody doing life science-related stuff will need (Chemistry, Physics, Math). As for pay, I'm sure it pays well enough for you to live on, but the reason you would do it is for the love of animals, not for the pay.