These biology jobs and internships are paid opportunities that also typically compensate participants with some combination of housing, food, and travel stipends. They are mostly field-based, do not involve an individual research project, and are a great way to gain experience in field work and data collection. They are listed in chronological order by posting date.
Summer 2025
4/30 – Forest and Fire Ecology tech – AL
Dr. Heather Alexander is hiring field and lab research technicians to work in the Forest and Fire Ecology Lab at Auburn University for spring/summer 2025, starting May 2025. Must be able to commit 40 hours per week through the end of August, and travel for overnight, multi-day trips (up to a week) outside of Auburn. The positions will include a combination of fieldwork and lab work. No prior experience necessary, but applicants must possess an interest in forest ecology, a willingness to learn, and be capable of (and excited about) working long hours outdoors exposed to heat, cold, biting insects, and thorny vegetation. Pay ranges from $12-$16/hour depending on education and experience.
Research technicians will gain experience collecting experimental and observational field data. Other tasks will include vegetation sampling, measuring plant traits, plant identification, data entry, and vegetation and soil sample processing in the lab.
If interested, please e-mail a brief description of your interest/experience and a résumé to Tamara Milton (tfm0010@auburn.edu).
4/16 – Water Quality Technician – Salt Lake City, UT
The State of Utah Department of Environmental Quality is recruiting Water Quality Technicians for the 2025 field season. The position is being offered at $16-20, and the description is included below. Thank you!The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking to fill multiple intern positions in the Division of Water Quality. These are Term-Limited (TL), full time (40 hours per week), seasonal positions.
Principal Duties
- Assist with field monitoring activities with Monitoring Section Staff
- Collects, organizes, and review water quality data and samples
- Delivers field samples to appropriate labs
- Follows quality assurance procedures including standard operating procedures and field manuals
Ideal Candidate
- Work experience or educational background related to watershed sciences
- Skills include knowledge in physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of water quality monitoring
- Experience with operating scientific monitoring equipment
- Experience with operating 4WD vehicles, boats, and towing trailers
- Ability to get along with a diversity of personalities and maintain a positive attitude under stressful situations
- Flexible schedule and able to travel overnight frequently
- Knowledge with handling, collecting and identifying fish
Preferences: An associate degree or higher in a field related to watershed sciences is preferred. But, candidates who are still pursuing their degree will be considered. This includes environmental studies, natural resources, wildlife biology, environmental chemistry, geology, etc.
Certification is unnecessary.
Additional Information:
- This is a term-limited (temporary), non-benefited position anticipated to last May through October 2025. The schedule is 40 hours per week.
- This is a field-based position where working in inclement weather and physically demanding work conditions is common. Candidates must be familiar with working in a variety of conditions including: rain, snow, heat, wind, uneven and slippery surfaces, and strenuous situations. Additionally, given the nature of the position, candidates must be comfortable working in and around water. This includes wading streams, working in wetlands, and being on lakes/reservoirs.
- Risks found in the typical office setting, which is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated, e.g., safe use of office equipment, avoiding trips and falls, observing fire regulations, etc.
- Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the work; however, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items; driving an automobile, etc. Special physical demands are not required to perform the work.
State of Utah Job Portal: APPLY HERE.
4/16 – Summer lake ecology technician – IN
We seek a summer field technician to assist with physical and chemical sampling of lakes around and in the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC). We are particularly interested in finding an undergraduate student with interest in aquatic ecosystems. Experience is beneficial, but a strong work ethic, willingness to work outside in less than ideal weather, ability to work well as a team, and strong attention to detail will go a long way. Occasional long days may be required.
The ideal start date is mid-May, but there may be some flexibility. The position will extend into mid August. The technician will be based at UNDERC, where housing will be provided for the duration of the season.
Housing: Shared apartment housing provided on site.
Pay: $5,000 stipend.
To apply: Email Dr. Steve Jane at sjane@nd.edu with a resume and short paragraph (4-6 sentences) explaining your current interests and past experience. Review of applications will be as received.
3/26 – Small mammal field tech – FL
Sanibel Island Rice Rat Field Technician: The McCleery Lab (http://www.themccleerylab.org/) with the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida is seeking 3 highly motivated field technicians for research on Sanibel Island, Florida. The technicians will assist on a project assessing movement patterns of the threatened Sanibel Island rice rats in relation to hydrology, roads, and management activity. This is a temporary, full-time position that will run from late-May through August 2025. Technicians will be responsible for using camera traps to monitor small mammal activity, live-trapping and tagging rice rats, and monitoring tagged rats via GPS and VHF radio-telemetry. Additional duties will include data entry and miscellaneous tasks as needed. Applicants must be comfortable working long days in hot and wet conditions with snakes, biting insects, and alligators. Field housing will be provided as well as a state vehicle for work-related travel.
Qualifications:
- A B.S. in wildlife ecology or a related field is preferred, but not required.
- Applicants must be willing to work the full field season, possess a valid driver’s license, and maintain a good attitude while working in sometimes adverse conditions such as high heat and humidity and with potential wildlife encounters.
- Previous experience with field work, especially small mammal trapping/handling and/or radio telemetry is a plus, but not required.
- The candidate must be able to work independently and collaboratively with all project members.
- Ideal candidates will be detail-oriented, flexible, and enthusiastic.
Application: To apply, please send the following in a single PDF document to Maggie Jones at jones.m@ufl.edu: 1) cover letter with qualifications and reasons why this job would be a good fit for you, 2) resume, and 3) names and contact information for 2 references. Applications will be reviewed immediately and will be accepted until the positions are filled. The salary for this position is $16/hr, and housing will be provided.
3/21 – Field Technician to survey Lakes and Reservoirs – OR
The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs at Portland State University is hiring field technicians this summer to survey lakes and reservoirs in the Pacific Northwest for the early detection of aquatic invasive mussels (particularly Dreissena spp.), snails, crayfish, and invasive plants. This position will include field surveys at lakes and rivers, specimen collection, specimen ID training, lab analysis (involving the handling of hazardous chemicals), and field work involving eDNA sampling for invasive mussels, and water chemistry sampling. There will be lots of time spent both driving a truck with a trailer, and piloting a boat at waterbodies. This position is excellent for gaining experience in field sampling, lab analysis, and research in aquatic systems.
Pay rate: starts at $19.86 / hr
Minimum qualifications:
- Valid driver’s license
- A degree in biological or physical science (or enrollment in a college-level degree program)
- Ability to follow dichotomous keys
- Attention to detail and note taking during meetings and in the field
- Basic computer skills (word processing, simple spreadsheets, navigation apps…)
- Comfortable around water and dirty conditions
- Ability to solve unforeseen problems in areas with little/no cell or wifi coverage
- Ability to get along with crew members during extended time in the field
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience conducting field surveys
- Experience using GPS and navigation programs
- Field data collection and management using Survey123 or similar program
- Practice and experience hauling trailers and backing them up
- Practice and experience operating small boats with combustion engines
- Familiarity identifying aquatic plants
- Familiarity with freshwater invertebrate identification
- Experience working in remote settings
3/3 – Trail Conference Conservation Corps – NY
We’re looking for passionate individuals to join our team as Trail Crew Members, Invasives Strike Force Members, and Trail Stewards. These AmeriCorps positions offer hands-on experience in conservation, trail work, and environmental stewardship across the Hudson Valley, New York area.
- Season Dates: April/May – August/September/October/November (depending on positions)
- Benefits:
- Living stipend & education award upon completion
- Free, rustic, lakeside cabin-based housing within Harriman State Park
- Certifications in Wilderness First Aid, Leave No Trace, and CPR/AED
- Pesticide training for Invasives Strike Force Members
- Training in conservation skills and leadership
- Field experience working with a dedicated team in beautiful locations
- Networking opportunities with professionals in the field
- Whether you’re looking to start a career in conservation, build new skills, or spend a season making a tangible impact outdoors, this is an incredible opportunity!
Here are the full job descriptions:
- Invasives Strike Force Leader
- Invasives Strike Force Member
- Trail Crew Leader
- Trail Crew Member
- Trail Steward Leader
- Trail Steward Member
Learn more & apply here: www.nynjtc.org/corpsapplication
2/22 – NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network)
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale observation facility funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by Battelle. The NEON program is designed to collect long-term, open access ecological data to better understand how U.S. ecosystems are changing, from freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes to terrestrial systems spanning tropical forests to deserts to tundra. We depend on our people to collect observational data and samples, to monitor automated instrumented systems that collect terrestrial and aquatic data, and to operate our airborne observation platform that captures remote sensing data of regional landscapes and vegetation.
Within NEON, we have several different job opportunities that range from temporary to full-time positions.
You can reach out to Bryce Duchesne, Duchesne@Battelle.org, with any questions!
Fall 2025
4/30 – plant ecology field technicians – OR/CA
The Sheth plant evolutionary ecology lab in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC; USA) and the Angert Lab in the Departments of Botany and Zoology at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC; Canada) are looking for two enthusiastic field technicians to work as a team collecting demographic data as part of an NSF-funded study of range-wide surveys of the riparian plant, scarlet monkeyflower. The project aims to understand how plant population dynamics vary along latitudinal and elevational gradients; how populations recover from extreme climatic events; and how rapid evolution increases population persistence under climate change. For more, see www.seemasheth.weebly.com and angert.github.io.
Dates: ~ late August through ~ late September or early October
Locations: 21 sites from southern California to central Oregon
Pay: $25/hour
Expected duties: The data collection team will work with Drs. Sheth and Angert for one week, beginning in ~late August (exact date TBD), to become proficient in site relocation and data collection methods across a representative sample of sites. Upon completion of training, the team will continue to complete data collection independently across all remaining sites (21 in total, from southern California to central Oregon). Duties include: (1) relocating sites and plots from written descriptions, photos, and GPS records; (2) censusing survival of previously recorded plants; (3) measuring size and reproduction of marked individual plants; (4) mapping and tagging new recruits; (5) maintaining plot markers; and (6) collecting fruits off-plot.
Required qualifications
- Positive attitude, great work ethic, and strong communication skills for collaborative teamwork and problem solving
- Upper-level undergraduate student or recent college graduate who has taken at least one ecology course and is excited to participate in field ecological research
- A valid driver’s license and ability to work in the US
- Ability to complete repetitive tasks and work outside for long periods of time in potentially adverse conditions (e.g., in high or low temperatures, with poison oak and blackberry bramble, and traveling off-trail with slippery or uneven footing
- Ability to work away from home and be on the road from ~ late August until data collection is complete (~late September or early October)
Preferred qualifications
- Familiarity with plant identification
- Previous field experience
- Experience in extended remote camping and driving on 4WD roads
- Wilderness safety training
Additional information: Exact start and end dates are flexible. Costs for camping and occasional motel lodging will be covered. Field technicians will use a rental car and receive mileage reimbursements for gas. We are committed to creating a safe and respectful working environment for all crew members. We have a thorough field safety plan and expect that all crew members will comply with it. Technicians will have the option of completing wilderness first aid training, with course fees covered, prior to beginning field work.
To apply: Please submit the following materials to https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/217584 : 1) a cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for this position (including your available dates), 2) current CV or resume (with relevant coursework included), and 3) contact information (phone number and email address) for 2 references. Review of applications by Drs. Sheth and Angert will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Feel free to email Dr. Sheth (ssheth3@ncsu.edu) if you have any questions.
4/30 – YMCA Earth Service Corps (10 mos) – WA
YMCA Earth Service Corps in Seattle is hiring. A brief overview is below and a full position description is available at this link: https://www.campingandoutdoorleadership.org/earth-service-corps-1
Want to work over the school year with some amazing teenagers in the greater Seattle area? Want to inspire and support the next generation as they develop leadership skills to address the environmental challenges of our time? Want to develop your own professional skills? Check out the YMCA Earth Service Corps (YESC) Program Instructor position!
- Position Description is here and application link is here.
- This is an AmeriCorps position from Sept. 2, 2025 -July 15, 2026.
- Benefits include a living stipend of $2,438.10 – 2,548 per month, a $7,395 Education Award, student loan forbearance and payment of interest that accrues, health insurance, and more!
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until July 1st.
- Applicants must be 21 and US Citizens to qualify for this AmeriCorps position. Learn more about AmeriCorps here.
- Want to learn more? Contact YESC Director Chelsey Wheeler at cwheeler@seattleymca.org or 206-466-1048.