Zoologist

Career path and progression

As an experienced zoologist, you could become a research manager. You might also work with zoos on wildlife conservation projects, or overseas on habitat and conservation management assignments.

In an academic post in higher education, you could progress to senior fellow or professor and lead your own research team. You might also supervise postgraduate research students, or work in scientific journalism.

You can get more details about research career development options through Vitae.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• knowledge of biology
• science skills
• the ability to work well with others
• excellent verbal communication skills
• maths knowledge
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• analytical thinking skills
• excellent written communication skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Related subjects

Most relevant

• Biology - Zoologists need a deep understanding of biology to study animal anatomy, physiology, genetics, and evolution. Whether they're identifying species in the field, analysing tissue samples in the lab, or studying how parasites interact with their hosts, biological knowledge is at the core of everything they do.
• Chemistry - Zoologists use chemistry when carrying out laboratory work, such as analysing blood samples, understanding biochemical processes in animals, or working in pharmaceutical research. Knowledge of chemical reactions and lab techniques is important for many areas of zoological research.
• Mathematics - Zoologists use statistics to analyse population data, track changes in animal numbers over time, and test whether their research findings are significant. They also use mathematical models to predict how species might respond to environmental changes.
• Environmental Science - Zoologists often work in conservation and ecology, studying how animals interact with their habitats and how environmental changes affect wildlife. Understanding ecosystems, biodiversity, and human impacts on the natural world is central to much of their research.

Also relevant

• Geography - Zoologists study how animal species are distributed across different landscapes, climates, and ecosystems. Understanding physical geography – including habitats, weather patterns, and how environments change over time – helps them carry out fieldwork and interpret where and why certain species thrive.
• Physics - Zoologists sometimes use physics-based techniques such as radio telemetry, GPS tracking, and remote sensing to monitor animal movements and behaviour. Understanding how these technologies work helps them collect accurate data in the field.
• English Language - Zoologists write detailed technical reports, publish research papers in scientific journals, and give presentations at conferences. Being able to communicate complex findings clearly – both in writing and when speaking – is essential for sharing their work with other scientists and the public.
• Computer Science - Zoologists increasingly use programming and data analysis tools to process large datasets, build population models, and run simulations of ecological systems. Skills in coding and computational thinking help them manage and interpret the growing volume of data collected through modern research methods.
• Geology - Zoologists who specialise in paleozoology study fossil remains to understand how animal species evolved over millions of years. Knowledge of rock types, geological time periods, and fossilisation processes is important for interpreting these ancient records.