Far from professional roles of an eco-friendly nature being confined to ‘hands-on’ and practical roles such as gardeners and wildlife conservationists, there is a wide plethora of top career pathways in the ‘field’.

Continue reading to learn of the top less conventional careers working to protect wildlife and the natural environment.

1. Civil Engineer 

Nowadays, companies across the entire spectrum of industries not only have a pre-existing moral obligation to conduct business in a way that does not threaten or, indeed, exterminate populations of wildlife and large areas of trees and greenery but also a legal one too.

For example, quality and comprehensive land surveyance conducted by an established St. Louis civil engineering firm make a concerted effort always to keep an ethical, environmentally conscious mindset.

2. Energy Auditor

Sticking to the field of construction and engineering, another well-paid and interesting career pathway that can help to move towards a far more sustainable future for not just this country but the world over is that of an energy auditor.

Essentially, an energy auditor is responsible for assessing small and large companies alike on either a freelance or contracted basis to determine whether the business is running as eco-friendly as it could. Energy auditors are tasked with conserving energy wherever possible and reducing both the environmental and carbon footprints of the company.

3. Food Scientist 

Food scientists and agricultural scientists conduct thorough research into a variety of different areas to ascertain whether or not the safety and efficiency of production, manufacturing, and distribution of food and farming, respectively, can be improved.

With the average annual salary for a professional food scientist ranging between an impressive $63,500 to an even more impressive $69,000, when you pursue a career in food science or agricultural science, you can save the environment and make money.

4. Geoscientist

Staying with the more scientific pursuits, another career that focuses on the preservation of the natural environment and the wildlife within, is a job as a geoscientist.

Regardless of whether you start out working in, to name a few, volcanology, land reclamation, environmental protection, oceanology, or seismology, a geoscientist is tasked with the intense and in-depth study of the earth and its structure.

From collaborating with connected drilling engineers to assessing the prospective condition and quality of new natural resources (such as hydrocarbon and mineral), becoming a geoscientist takes an incredible amount of study and commitment but is well worth it in the end.

5. Hydrologist

The fifth and final top career that is perhaps slightly less well-known than others supporting and protecting the environment and working towards a sustainable future, is that of a hydrologist.

Hydrologists are responsible for the curating, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from both manmade and natural waterways and are solely focused on finding sustainable solutions that protect the natural world.

Hydrologists work alongside a variety of other professionals, and such a career could see you working anywhere in the country and sometimes even abroad.