Herpetologists may study the impact of human activity on reptile or amphibian environments.
The term herpetologist is derived from the ancient Greek word "herpeton" meaning "to creep." It refers to a zoological scientist who specializes in reptiles and amphibians. A herpetologist may focus on a single species or a wide variety and work in a number of industry sectors, such as zoos, government agencies and research facilities. The field is not without its dangers; in June 2011, a UK herpetologist who ran a cobra sanctuary made headlines after being bitten and killed by one of his charges. But it can provide a rewarding career for those with a passion for our cold-blooded relatives.
Average Salary
As part of its national employment survey conducted in May 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics classified herpetologists alongside other zoologists and wildlife biologists. It reported that the mean annual salary across the category was $61,660. At the time of writing, two pay analysis websites published comparable figures for the average yearly salary of herpetologists specifically. Indeed put it at $48,000, while Simply Hired listed the wage as $45,000.
Salary by Industry
The bureau's survey revealed that the largest numbers of zoologists and wildlife biologists are employed by government agencies. The mean annual salary for an individual working for federal government was given as $77,030, while their colleagues employed by state government agencies earned a mean of $53,100. Local government paid $58,710 per annum. Practitioners may also work as consultants, a sector in which the mean yearly wage was listed as $55,130, or within scientific research and development services, reported at $72,410.
Salary by Geography
The bureau listed District of Columbia as the state in which a zoologist such as a herpetologist was likely to earn the highest annual salary, a mean of $106,540. Maryland and Massachusetts completed the top three states with means of $97,370 and $88,550, respectively. By way of contrast, Florida was listed at just $51,160. At the level of metropolitan districts, Barnstable Town in Massachusetts topped the table with a mean wage of $115,160. In contrast, Gainesville, Florida, was reported at $52,640.
Prospects
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment opportunities across the biological science, including for zoologists such as herpetologists, will increase by around 21 percent over the decade from 2008 to 2018. This is much faster growth than is expected of the country as a whole, put at between 7 and 13 percent for the same period. The increased need for environmental protection, rising government funding and the growth of the biotechnology industry are the primary reasons given for this growth. As such, salary levels should remain very competitive in the coming years.
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