Job opportunities for ecologists have grown steadily in the past few years, although they may be affected in the short term by the tight economic situation.

Recession currently slowing down job opportunities for ecologists

The present economic recession has affected job opportunities for ecologists, as some government and private employers have limited their hiring of new staff to minimise costs. For example, the Department of Conservation, one of the largest employers of ecologists, is likely to cut some positions as its funding has recently been reduced by $54 million.

Jobs may be harder to come by during the recession, which is expected to last until the end of 2010.

Job opportunities should increase in longer term with growing environmental awareness

Funding levels for research are low in New Zealand when compared with other developed countries. However, government funding for environmental research has increased in the past few years, creating more job opportunities for ecologists. 

Such funding is likely to continue growing, as environmental issues are expected to become more pressing. For example, a growing population will put more pressure on land and water resources, and potentially cause more pollution.

People moving overseas balances low number of ecologist job vacancies

Only a limited number of job vacancies for ecologists come up each year. Despite this, your chances of getting a job are generally good, because many new graduates or postgraduates move overseas, where they can get wider experience and more specialised work opportunities.

Shortage of candidates with maths/statistics combined with biology skills

You have very good chances of getting a job if you have maths or statistics as well as biology skills. These skills are in high demand, because population modelling (predicting numbers of a species) and ecological modelling (mathematically representing ecosystems to understand and predict their behaviour) are increasingly used in ecology. 

A shortage of people with these skills is leading employers to recruit people from overseas.

Ecologists are employed by:

• government agencies such as the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Environment
• Crown research institutes (CRIs), such as the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
• regional councils
• universities
• Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA)
• Fish and Game New Zealand
• Cawthron Institute.

Ecologists can also work at private consultancies, which contract out their services to organisations like those listed above.