Herpetologists include people with advanced academic degrees, non-scientists who work with amphibians and reptiles for a living, and people who pursue herpetology as an avocation. The following sections outline some of the major career directions and the training necessary to pursue them. Most herpetologists do research on amphibians and reptiles. The results of their research are published in scientific journals and books. Herpetologists may work in zoos or for wildlife agencies, do environmental assessments, teach, or care for museum collections.
Some herpetologists work as writers, photographers, or animal breeders.
The major categories of jobs for herpetologists are described below. The majority of herpetologists work as professors or researchers in colleges and universities. With few exceptions, a person must have a Ph.D. in biology to teach in these places. Smaller colleges may hire teachers with a master's degree. The herpetologist is expected to teach a variety of biology courses, such as introductory biology, systematics, anatomy, physiology, or ecology, as well as herpetology.