Botanist

Also known as:

Plant Scientist

Introduction

Botanists study plant life at all levels. They look into how and where plants grow, study their cells, and investigate the impact that chemicals and diseases have on them.

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Work Activities

Botanists study plants, including their reproduction and growth, distribution, and how pests and diseases affect them. Plants are essential for life and botanists must study and monitor their health and distribution.

Botanists often work in research and development for agricultural, forestry or environmental bodies. In agriculture, botanists may study how to stop pests damaging crops, perhaps through biological control (for example, introducing other species to eat the pests).

Extinction threatens many plant species, so botany and plant ecology have become important aspects of conservation. In fieldwork botanists may record the number and types of different species in one area or monitor the impact of pollution on a region's plant life. Botanists may travel internationally to do this work. They identify and classify plants to check how rare they are.

Botanists working in conservation may look after a specific wildlife area. They give talks, take guided walks and organise displays and exhibitions.

Botanists may work in research for agriculture and horticulture to develop plants which are resistant to pests, weeds and drought. This may benefit food production in developing countries. They may genetically modify plants to increase crop yields. They have to organise careful tests to check that these plants are safe for humans and how they may affect the environment.

Botanists may also work in the pharmaceutical industry to develop new medicines using their knowledge of the healing qualities of plants and herbs.

Botany involves spending a lot of time doing both fieldwork and also laboratory work.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a botanist, you will need to be accurate and methodical in field and laboratory work, and be prepared to repeat experiments many times. You should be observant and good at solving problems.

You need to be well organised to plan projects and experiments.

You need maths, statistical and IT skills to process and analyse data.

You must have good communication skills to present your research results and write reports.

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Pay and Opportunities

Salaries for botanists vary.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Botanists earn in the range of £18,000 - £25,000 a year, rising to £30,000 - £35,000. Higher earners can make around £45,000 a year.

Higher earners can make around £50,500 a year. Higher salaries are available depending on employer, role and responsibilities.

Botanists typically work 35-39 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Some late finishes and weekend work may be required.

Employers throughout the UK are companies in agrochemicals, agriculture and horticulture. Other botanists are employed in the food and drink, water and pharmaceutical industries. There are opportunities in advisory and consultancy work and in teaching.

Opportunities in marine and freshwater biology, ecological and environmental work are limited.

Relatively few botany graduates and postgraduates enter the job market each year. There is fierce competition for posts and not all botany graduates are able to find employment in their subject.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have developed skills during relevant scientific fieldwork.

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter a degree course, you might be able to start one after completing an Access course, eg, Access to Science.

You don't usually need any qualifications to enter an Access course, although you should check this with the course provider.

The Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) gives grants for plant identification training, and will consider grants for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

• 9% of people in occupations such as botany work part-time.
• 16% have flexible hours.
• 13% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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New Developments

Some people working in this occupation may be involved in the green jobs sector in areas such as conservation or countryside management.