Becoming a Botanist via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Ashford University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering environmental science courses to train individuals to become top-notch environmental sciences professors, environmental engineers, environmental scientists, environmental health professionals, environmental specialists, environmental analysts, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 11,830 people employed as soil and plant scientists alone in America, and their average annual salary is $65,180. Conservation scientists make on average $61,180 per year and there are about 16,810 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Ashford University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Botanist
  • college
  • national forest
  • garden
  • herbaria
  • research department
  • laboratory
  • pharmaceutical company
  • petrochemical company
  • forest service office
  • national park
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Botanist
  • starting salaries in this area may be around $22 000 a year
  • senior lecturers at universities may earn around $55000
  • botanists in research posts earn up to $27,500
  • salaries for people working in private industry will vary considerably
  • research skills
  • practical skills
  • problem solving ability
  • patience perseverance and good concentration
  • the ability to analyze interpret and report on data
  • an interest in nature and the environment
Potential Drawbacks
  • be exposed to chemicals
  • have to learn scientific names for all flowers
  • be in dangerous places
  • go into the rain forest
  • be exposed to potentially deadly poisons from some flowers
  • travel frequently
  • be away from family
  • spends enormous amounts of time developing scientific theories
  • work by yourself
  • be in charge of other people
Related Professions to Consider
  • Botanist /Plant Ecologist
  • Expert Botanist
  • Staff Botanist
  • Botanist /Wetland Ecologist
  • Senior Botanist
  • Biologist/ Botanist /Forester
  • Forest Ecologist/ Botanist
  • Arboretum Research Botanist
  • Senior Environmental Biologist
  • Senior Biologist for Environmental Practice Group
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Botanist
  • How to identify Hetero chromatin and euchromatin?
  • What are plasmodesmata?
  • Difference between Purine and Pyrimidine?
  • Differentiate alpha-taxonomy and omega-taxonomy?
  • Siliqua is the characteristic fruit of which family?
  • What is meant by PEN?
  • What is the difference between Histogram and Chasmogamy?
  • What is the difference between Geitonogamy and Xenogamy?
  • What is Gynandrophore?
  • What is the characteristic inflorescence of the family Asteraceae?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • plant scientist
  • biologist
  • field botanist
  • plant analyst
  • soil scientist
  • plant consultant
  • botanical trainer
  • research analyst
  • botany teacher
  • botany professor
Botanist Training books Botanist (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • arts
  • business
  • communications
  • community services
  • computer & information sciences
  • education
  • engineering & technology
  • medicine & allied health
  • science & math
  • social sciences

Botanist Salary Information

Category: Soil and plant scientists

Total # Employed in the US 11,830
Average Hourly Wage: $31.34/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16.79 $21.67 $28.45 $37.79 $51.76
Average Yearly Salary $65,180
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$34,930 $45,070 $59,180 $78,590 $107,670
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.5% 4.2% 8.9% 7.5% 41.4% 23.4% 14.2%
Soil and plant scientists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
New York $68.64/hr $142,770
Mississippi $41.55/hr $86,420
Delaware $38.32/hr $79,710
New Hampshire $37.77/hr $78,550
Hawaii $37.2/hr $77,370
Colorado $35.99/hr $74,860
Missouri $35.14/hr $73,080
Alabama $35.08/hr $72,960
Nebraska $34.93/hr $72,650
Alaska $34.57/hr $71,910
Kansas $34.47/hr $71,700
Indiana $33.93/hr $70,580
North Dakota $33.72/hr $70,130
Massachusetts $33.45/hr $69,570
Ohio $32.82/hr $68,280
Nevada $32.54/hr $67,680
Kentucky $32.44/hr $67,470
Puerto Rico $32.2/hr $66,980
Oklahoma $31.56/hr $65,650
Washington $31.26/hr $65,030
Louisiana $31.18/hr $64,860
Oregon $30.72/hr $63,890
Tennessee $30.57/hr $63,580
Connecticut $29.52/hr $61,400
California $29.15/hr $60,640
Utah $28.45/hr $59,170
Guam $28.17/hr $58,600
Wisconsin $28.14/hr $58,530
Arkansas $27.75/hr $57,710
Pennsylvania $27.32/hr $56,820
Montana $27.29/hr $56,760
District of Columbia $27.03/hr $56,220
Iowa $26.99/hr $56,130
South Carolina $26.54/hr $55,210
Maine $26.52/hr $55,150
Wyoming $25.98/hr $54,030
Michigan $25.34/hr $52,720
South Dakota $25.25/hr $52,530
West Virginia $25.05/hr $52,100
Idaho $24.99/hr $51,980
Maryland $24.95/hr $51,900
New Jersey $24.88/hr $51,750
New Mexico $24.22/hr $50,370


Category: Conservation scientists

Total # Employed in the US 16,810
Average Hourly Wage: $29.41/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$17.1 $22.18 $28.92 $35.26 $42.25
Average Yearly Salary $61,180
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$35,570 $46,140 $60,160 $73,340 $87,890
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.8% 1.1% 7.2% 6.5% 62.8% 18.2% 3.5%
Conservation scientists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Alaska $40.76/hr $84,790
Hawaii $35.7/hr $74,260
Florida $35.61/hr $74,070
Massachusetts $33.79/hr $70,290
North Carolina $33.47/hr $69,620
Delaware $33.47/hr $69,610
Colorado $33.24/hr $69,140
Mississippi $33.24/hr $69,130
Maine $32.8/hr $68,230
Kansas $32.64/hr $67,890
California $32.43/hr $67,450
Washington $32.43/hr $67,450
Indiana $32.42/hr $67,440
Wisconsin $32.04/hr $66,630
Tennessee $31.67/hr $65,870
Maryland $31.26/hr $65,030
South Dakota $30.92/hr $64,320
North Dakota $30.46/hr $63,350
New Mexico $30.44/hr $63,310
Pennsylvania $30.44/hr $63,320
Nebraska $30.35/hr $63,120
Alabama $30.15/hr $62,720
Ohio $30.04/hr $62,490
Connecticut $29.69/hr $61,760
Idaho $29.51/hr $61,370
Montana $29.4/hr $61,150
Iowa $29.26/hr $60,850
South Carolina $29.02/hr $60,370
Arkansas $28.82/hr $59,940
Kentucky $28.77/hr $59,850
Wyoming $28.56/hr $59,400
New Jersey $27.88/hr $57,980
Missouri $27.68/hr $57,570
Puerto Rico $27.49/hr $57,170
New York $27.08/hr $56,330
Guam $27.07/hr $56,300
Michigan $26.73/hr $55,600
Oklahoma $26.72/hr $55,570
West Virginia $26.17/hr $54,440
Oregon $26.17/hr $54,430
Nevada $25.57/hr $53,180
New Hampshire $25.48/hr $53,010
Louisiana $24.73/hr $51,440
Utah $21.2/hr $44,090


Category: Biological technicians

Total # Employed in the US 74,560
Average Hourly Wage: $19.78/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$11.8 $14.74 $18.61 $23.72 $29.51
Average Yearly Salary $41,140
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$24,540 $30,650 $38,700 $49,340 $61,380
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.9% 18.9% 17.4% 10.7% 35.3% 6.9% 7.8%
Biological technicians — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Missouri $25.2/hr $52,420
Delaware $23.79/hr $49,490
Nebraska $22.71/hr $47,250
Mississippi $22.69/hr $47,190
Colorado $21.98/hr $45,710
North Dakota $21.76/hr $45,250
Utah $20.71/hr $43,070
Oklahoma $20.62/hr $42,890
Oregon $20.12/hr $41,850
Louisiana $19.87/hr $41,330
District of Columbia $19.8/hr $41,180
Kansas $19.55/hr $40,660
Idaho $19.51/hr $40,580
North Carolina $19.21/hr $39,950
Michigan $18.84/hr $39,180
Ohio $18.78/hr $39,060
Virginia $18.76/hr $39,020
Puerto Rico $18.65/hr $38,780
New Hampshire $18.55/hr $38,590
Maine $18.52/hr $38,520
Nevada $18.16/hr $37,780
Alabama $18.15/hr $37,740
South Carolina $17.89/hr $37,210
Wisconsin $17.62/hr $36,650
Tennessee $17.59/hr $36,580
Washington $17.59/hr $36,580
Alaska $17.55/hr $36,500
Hawaii $17.34/hr $36,070
New Mexico $17.32/hr $36,020
Wyoming $17.26/hr $35,900
Kentucky $17.2/hr $35,780
California $16.91/hr $35,180
Indiana $16.31/hr $33,930
Arkansas $16.23/hr $33,760
Massachusetts $16.2/hr $33,700
Guam $16.14/hr $33,570
Maryland $16.06/hr $33,410
New Jersey $15.84/hr $32,950
South Dakota $15.7/hr $32,660
New York $15.14/hr $31,500
Iowa $14.96/hr $31,110
West Virginia $14.54/hr $30,240


Category: Biological science teachers, postsecondary

Total # Employed in the US 54,810
Average Yearly Salary $87,220
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$41,060 $53,190 $73,980 $105,080 $155,020
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.2% 0.7% 2.7% 2.3% 15.3% 34.6% 44.2%
Biological science teachers, postsecondary — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Alabama - $109,990
Arkansas - $75,460
California - $55,170
Colorado - $90,560
Connecticut - $72,400
Delaware - $86,390
Florida - $80,470
Hawaii - $68,720
Idaho - $67,980
Indiana - $95,520
Kansas - $68,610
Kentucky - $72,250
Louisiana - $75,150
Maine - $73,950
Maryland - $70,700
Massachusetts - $52,630
Michigan - $78,770
Mississippi - $84,610
Missouri - $106,780
Montana - $78,820
Nebraska - $66,380
Nevada - $61,660
New Hampshire - $70,550
New Jersey - $53,230
New Mexico - $69,850
North Carolina - $87,330
North Dakota - $81,190
Ohio - $55,940
Oklahoma - $90,800
Oregon - $69,910
Pennsylvania - $48,250
South Carolina - $81,650
Tennessee - $89,980
Utah - $89,120
Virginia - $73,700
Washington - $62,280
West Virginia - $81,680
Wisconsin - $74,970
Wyoming - $115,170
Guam - $69,580
Puerto Rico - $70,920


Environmental Science Programs by State & City