Higgins, 1

Lewis Higgins

Career Report for EDP: Botanist

3-22-17

When I was younger, I never had an answer to the question What do you want to be? I

still dont really but I think its just best to follow my interests. I enjoy fishing, but thats not

really a career, and I have always been curious about plants. Along with this, the ability to work

outside is very important; I cant stand being inside too long. So, it seems to me that a botanist

would be good job for me.

All Botanists study plants and how they interact with their environments. The most

common fields are plants use as a resource, classification, structure/function, and diseases

affecting them. (Career Cruising: Botanist) Botanists will work anywhere there is a need for a

knowledge of plants: schools as professors, seed companies, biotechnical and pharmaceutical

labs, museums, parks and botanical gardens, or outside at farms or wilderness areas. (What is a

Botanist?) If a person with a knowledge and understanding of plants and how they grow is

needed, a botanist will surely have a job there.

Since botanist is a general term for plant scientist, there is not much of a defined career

path. Botanists usually have initial experience with gardening and then will get a bachelors and

work as an assistant, or technician while getting their higher education: a masters or PhD.

(Career Cruising: Botanist) From there a botanist may become a professor or researcher. (What is

a Botanist?)
Higgins, 2

It can take a lot or not very much time to become a full-fledged botanist. A bachelors

degree is required for most botanical positions. (What is a Botanist?) However, a person studying

botany can continue their education for many more years depending on what field they want to

work in. (Career Cruising: Botanist) Degrees in botany, plant science, general biology, are

always found, but students also study physics, chemistry and social studies as these are required

for certain positions. (What is a Botanist?) In Michigan, Michigan State University would be a

good choice for this type of education, and out of state, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

seems like a good candidate. (Compare Colleges with Botany/Plant Biology Degrees).

Botanists can either work outside or inside most of the time. Some botanists become

professors or Researchers and others work at botanical gardens, farms, and wilderness areas, so it

just depends on what field one chooses.

On average, a Botanist in our state makes 42,000 dollars annually. (What is a Botanist?)

This is slightly above the National average. For me this would be a fine wage. I would be

perfectly happy with this money as long as I was happy at work. Granted I would not make this

money straight out of college, working my way up, I could make even more.

I think botany would be a good way for me to turn one of my passions into a career. I

would make good money, and most of all be happy where I work. To me that along with getting

by comfortably means the most.

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Works Cited
Career Cruising: Botanist. 2017. https://www2.careercruising.com/careers/job-
description/61. 22 March 2017.
Compare Colleges with Botany/Plant Biology Degrees.
2017.http://colleges.startclass.com/d/o/Botany_-_Plant-Biology. 22 March
2017.
What is a Botanist? 2017 http://www.environmentalscience.org/career/botanist. 22
March 2017.