Animal behaviourist
Also called ethologist, animal behaviorists, animal behavior expert
Animal behaviourists work with animals and people to study, observe, assess and understand animal behaviour in relation to specific factors and to prevent or address inappropriate or problematic behaviours within individual animals through the development of suitable environments and management regimes, in accordance with national legislation.
What you'd do
Biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals · ILO- Undertaking research in laboratories and in the field to increase scientific knowledge of living organisms; to discover new information; to test hypotheses; to solve problems in areas such as the environment, agriculture and health; and to develop new products, processes and techniques for pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental use
- Designing and conducting experiments and tests
- Gathering human, animal, insect and plant specimens and data, and studying their origin, development, chemical and physical form, structure, composition, and life and reproductive processes
- Examining living organisms using a variety of specialised equipment, instruments, technologies and techniques such as electron microscopes, telemetry, global positioning systems, biotechnology, satellite imaging, genetic engineering, digital imaging analysis, polymerase chain reaction and computer modelling
- Identifying, classifying, recording and monitoring living organisms and maintaining databases
- Writing scientific papers and reports detailing research and any new findings which are then made available to the scientific community in scientific journals or at conferences for scrutiny and further debate
- Designing and carrying out environmental impact assessments to identify changes caused by natural or human factors
- Providing advice to governments, organizations and businesses in areas such as conservation, management of natural resources, the effects of climate change and pollution
- Indoors and outdoors
- A mix of sitting and standing
- Lots of contact with people, including the public
- Good freedom to decide
- Often more than 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospectsMany jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
Above averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €2,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €7,100 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Usually a degreeA degree in veterinary is the usual route.
330 institutions in the EU offer agriculture bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
ModeratelyAI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.
Average task score 0.40 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 8 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).