Once you start contemplating about the different possible career paths you can take, you should check if marine biology matches your personality and interests. Some individuals find it as their ultimate dream job, while others may only find out that they cannot bear tedious repetitions and spending hours away from home. Marine biology is a course that is perfect for explorers and curious minds. It is also a good way to make good income.
Gauging Your Interest
How interested are you in the ocean and everything else in it? Do you like sea creatures, plants, corals and aquatic ecosystems? Do you always spend time in aquariums and other water-filled environments? Are you good in science or are particularly interested in marine science? If you answer yes to all of these, you have a very high chance of becoming a good marine biologist. Interest is one thing, so you also have to consider your talents and skills and need for knowledge to know whether or not it is the right course to take.
Getting Ahead
If you wanted to learn marine biology at a very early age, then you already have an advantage. There are plenty of programs and opportunities provided in elementary and high school that can help you determine your level of interest in marine biology. You may enrol in a marine science summer camp or volunteer at local research facilities and aquariums. There are also several programs for young students in big universities and coastline cities. Find out more information on how to enrol and join by searching over the internet.
Getting Into College
You do not have to take up marine biology as a major in college to become a marine biologist. You should, however, get a bachelor’s degree and complete all the basic groundwork like biology, chemistry, biochemistry and even English. There are couple of options you can take in college. One is to major in biology and take marine biology as a specialization course. Second, it is also highly recommended that you take up a master’s degree after college, since some institutions require you to have one as a minimum requirement. You can expect a more solid position and a higher salary if you finish a doctorate degree.
Choosing the Career
There are several related jobs and fields, so you do not have to end up as a marine biologist. You can work as research assistant, research professor or lab technician at a community college or high school if you finish a master’s degree. If you finish your doctorate degree, you can teach at the college level and become government environmental consultant. You can work for different agencies and companies, such as a nature conservation, water company or tourism group.
Marine biologists earn an average annual salary of $53,000. The top doctorates in the field make about $115,000 and above. You can find several web sites online where you can compare different jobs and discuss how much you can expect. You should also consider the assignments and locations where you will most likely be working.