Careers in Botany

The major employers of botanists/plant biologists are

Educational Institutions

Federal and State Agencies

Companies and Industries

Private Foundations and Organizations

Botany-Related Careers

Science Teacher
Field Biologist
Developmental Biologist
Molecular Biologist
Plant Physiologist
Cytologist
Phycologist
Mycologist
Geneticist
Horticulturalist
Ecosystems Analyst
Forester
Wildlife Biologist
Range Scientist

Educational institutions range from community colleges to universities. Smaller colleges offer teaching positions in general botany. Universities employ faculty in general and specialized areas of botany as well as providing opportunity for more extensive research activity.

Federal and state agencies employ botanists in many fields. Plant biologists hold positions in various branches of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of the Interior employs botanists to work in the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Plant scientists are also employed by the Public Health Service, State Department, NASA, Smithsonian Institution, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Similar positions are available in each of the 50 state governments.

Industry employs plant biologists in pharmaceutical companies, petrochemical industry, agri-chemical industry, lumber and paper industries, seed and nursery companies, fruit growers, food companies, biological supply houses, and biotechnology firms. Some of these include Syngenta, Monsanto, DuPont, and Pioneer Hi-Bred International.

Private foundations and organizations, such as the S. R. Noble Foundation, employ botanists in the biotechnology field who primarily are engaged in research. Ecologists and taxonomists are also employed by private foundations and organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Heritage Inventory, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Ecologists

Ecologists study interactions of plants with other organisms and the environment.

Study ecosystems of various plants and animals

Work to protect native wildlife, plants and ecosystems

Educate students at the university and high school level and also educate the public at museums and nature centers

Apply ecological knowledge to solve environmental problems

Advise private organizations and local, state and federal governments

For more information: www.esa.org

Taxonomists

Taxonomists study individual plants and group them into species and then further organize species into more categories. These categories are based on similarities, which are established to represent theories as to the evolutionary relationships of the species.

Describe new species

Study existing species for their origins and their distinctiveness in nature

Curate or work in a herbarium

Identify plants for research, for education, and for the public

For more information: www.aspt.net/careers

Plant Cell and Molecular Biologists

Plant cell and molecular biologists study the structure and function of genes and their specialized products.

Explore the foundations of plant biology

Improve classical breeding strategies

Introduce new genes into plants to improve growth characteristics, protect plants from diseases and environmental stresses, and produce new products for medicinal and industrial use.

For more information:

www.aspb.org/jobbank/#career

Why We Do What We Do: Plant Biologists Discuss Their Career Choices

Websites for Jobs and Internships

Botanical Society of America
http://www.botany.org

The major employers of botanists/plant biologists are Educational Institutions Federal and State Agencies Companies and Industries Private Foundations and Organizations	Botany-Related Careers Science Teacher Field Biologist Developmental Biologist Molecular Biologist Plant Physiologist Cytologist Phycologist Mycologist Geneticist Horticulturalist Ecosystems Analyst Forester Wildlife Biologist Range Scientist
Educational institutions range from community colleges to universities. Smaller colleges offer teaching positions in general botany. Universities employ faculty in general and specialized areas of botany as well as providing opportunity for more extensive research activity.
Federal and state agencies employ botanists in many fields. Plant biologists hold positions in various branches of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of the Interior employs botanists to work in the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Plant scientists are also employed by the Public Health Service, State Department, NASA, Smithsonian Institution, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Similar positions are available in each of the 50 state governments.
Industry employs plant biologists in pharmaceutical companies, petrochemical industry, agri-chemical industry, lumber and paper industries, seed and nursery companies, fruit growers, food companies, biological supply houses, and biotechnology firms. Some of these include Syngenta, Monsanto, DuPont, and Pioneer Hi-Bred International.
Private foundations and organizations, such as the S. R. Noble Foundation, employ botanists in the biotechnology field who primarily are engaged in research. Ecologists and taxonomists are also employed by private foundations and organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Heritage Inventory, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.