Botanists are experts who study the plant species and their relationships with the external environment. Botanists are responsible for observing the various traits and processes in the plant species and create various breeding techniques so that the desirable traits of the plant genomes are transferred to the next generation.
Candidates aspiring to become a Botanist can take up courses at the UG, PG or Doctorate level such as BSc Botany, MSc Botany or PhD in Botany. Admission to the Botany Courses are usually done on the basis of merit list or entrance examination. The average course fee ranges from INR 45,000-2,00,000 per annum. The top Botany colleges in India are Hindu College, Miranda House, Madras Christian College, etc. Apart from the Private Sector the botanists can be hired in Government bodies such as FRI, UPSC, Wildlife Institute of India, National Parks, Botanical Gardens, etc.
2.1 Ecologist
2.2 Florist
2.3 Taxonomist
2.4 Agriculturist
2.5 Researcher
3.2 Graduation Level Preparation
4.1 BSc Botany
4.2 MSc Botany
4.3 PhD Botany
5.1 Botanist in UK
5.2 Botanist in USA
7.1 Job Opportunities for Botany Graduates
9.3 Experience Wise
Career as a Botanist: Quick Facts
| Industry | Biological |
| Eligibility |
BSc Botany: Passed 10+2 examinations with aggregate marks of 55% from a recognised board. MSc Botany: Candidates having undergraduate degree with 50% marks or have good scores in entrances conducted by institutes. Doctorate: Candidates having masters and good scores in entrance exams. |
| Average starting salary | INR 2.50 LPA- INR 6 LPA |
| Job opportunity | Agriculture sector, Pharmaceuticals industry Wildlife, Research Institutes, Educational Institutes etc. |
What Does A Botanist Do?
Botanists specialize in the scientific studies of plant life. They are responsible for research on the systematic organization of the lives of plants in a given terrain or the life of a certain type of plant in specific environment conditions.
The work of a botanist is useful in agricultural industries, horticulture, genetics and health care. Their main responsibilities include:
- Ensuring that soil, air, and water qualities are monitored and concerns are being fulfilled,
- Conducting or contributing to climate impact studies
- They are responsible for recording plant supply and its usage
- They are responsible for planning plant resource development
- Forecasting and monitoring plant usage and green mass increase/reduction over many years
- The Botanists are responsible for testing the weather conditions, pollutants and other environmental conditions that may affect the growth of plants
- The Botanists are responsible for collection of plant samples, observation and recording of various plant samples.
- They are also responsible for reporting plant response to the various environmental conditions and conducting breeding programs so that the desirable traits are passed on to the progeny.
Types of Botanists
There are different types of job roles to choose as a botanist. The perfect job role varies among candidates as it depends on various aspects like educational qualification of candidate, interest, pay scale and job location.Botany as a career will pick instructional establishments, personal or public sector firms in agriculture or biological science, biotechnology, environmental protection, drugs, biology analysis, and food industries as career choices.
A few job roles, a Botanist can select some of them are mentioned below-
Ecologist
- An ecologist realises the environmental threats to plants and trees and acts towards climate control and protection of plant species. They take care of the protection and balance of ecosystems and play a major role in protecting the ecosystem.
- As an ecologist, you'll pay an outsized quantity of time to go in the sector, for conducting scientific investigations, classifying plants, animals and different organisms, and recording the information that you just accumulate.
Florist
- A florist is a professional who deals with companies involved with floristry in the sale of flowers and making bouquets. Florists manage outlets, marketing flowers. They conjointly build and sell inventive arrangements of flowers and plants, like bouquets and wreaths.
- By creating floral displays, wreaths and bouquets of flowers, plants, dried flowers, wire, tape and foam — supported either your own styles, from style books or customers' needs.
- The Florist's responsibilities embody process flower shipments, pruning the flowers at periodic intervals, and composing marketable bouquets.
Taxonomist
- A taxonomist identifies and classifies plant species. Taxonomy includes classification of plants which is done on the basis of various physical and biological characteristics of plants.Their duties is to find out the structure of a species, mapping its desoxyribonucleic acid, photographing or sketching it, and assembling specimens. Specimens could also be transported to an area or field laboratory, wherever they're examined underneath a magnifier and compound.
- Taxonomists decide a way to classify species, explore however they work into their ecosystems and categorise their relationships with different species. They write extremely careful descriptions of species and select names for them. Taxonomists conjointly determine species in danger of extinction and will play a job within the preservation of numerous ecosystems.
Agriculturist
- An Agriculturist develops and produces disease-resistant crops for consumption by humans and also finds pest and weed control solutions for crops.An agriculturist could be a specialist in all areas of cultivation and raising farm animals.
- He/She could be somebody United Nations agency advises farmers on soil management, breeding animals’ living conditions, crop protection, environmental property, malady and gathering. He/She works each for state agencies, and personal entities similarly as severally, transfer data and recommendation to food producers. An agriculturist is trained normally in agricultural studies, however typically specializes either on the work or in a very master’s program in one or a lot of areas of agricultural science like Crop Specialization, Animal Specialization, Farm Management Specialization and Bio-technology Specialization.
Researcher
- Botanists who are interested in research purposes work in laboratories as a researcher and get involved in performing experiments with different varieties of plant species.
- Researchers are responsible for aggregation, organizing, and analyzing opinions and information to resolve issues, explore problems, and predict trends. They'll focus on completely different areas like medicine, botanical science, among different fields. Those who need to figure during this field area unit need to possess a Specialist Subject or Degree associated with this field, as well as relevant work expertise.
Steps on how to become a Botanist
There are a few important steps that can be followed to know how to become botanist after 12th, here we explain those steps in detail:
Make a Decision
Before you start pursuing your career in botany, you must make sure that you know what are your interests, what subject combinations do you need to take in class 12, and what courses you are eligible for in order to become a botanist. Even after undergraduate, you need to choose between various postgraduate courses that are offered, based on your area of interest. A career as a botanist is often demanding and stressful sometimes, you must have the zeal and motivation to work for the people even in stressful conditions.
Select the Right Subjects
The first and the foremost step is to choose the correct subjects in class 10+2, such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology predominantly. These are the best subject combinations to take up botany as a career option. You need to be very sure that you have an interest and basic command over these subjects, only then you can do higher studies in botany.
Prepare for Undergraduate entrance exams
After appearing for 10+2 one can appear for the entrance examination conducted by various institutes and only after qualifying, one would be able to start with their Bachelor Courses. After qualifying for the entrance examination, every student would be given a particular college through counseling where they can pursue bachelors.
Choose the Right College
If you are aiming to get admission in top government colleges then you will have to score really high in entrance exams. If your score is low then you can opt for any private College, which accepts your marks.
After Qualifying Entrance exams
Appearing for entrance exams and taking admission in the best college is just the beginning of the journey. This journey is 3 year long and has to be completed with a lot of dedication and patience. The 3 year undergraduate course consists of several theoretical and practical classes.
Entrance exam
The top entrance examination that the candidates can appear at the UG and PG level are BHU UET, BHU PET, DUET, etc,
Choose the right colleges
You can check out the various online platforms that offer the ranking of the top colleges in India such as the NIRF, India Today, Outlook and many more.
How to become a Botanist in India?
Becoming a botanist in India has a very conventional process but it takes a lot of merit and dedication. Students who wish to know how to become botanists in India must start preparation from class 10 onwards. They need to choose the right subjects, prepare for undergraduate entrance exams.
School Level Preparation
- Every student who wishes to become a botanist must have a science subject combination such as physics, chemistry, biology at a higher secondary level. Students should start preparing after class 10 and choose their subjects properly.
- Students must choose biology in class 12 in order to pursue a career as a botanist.
- Students must prepare for undergraduate entrance from class 11 in order to get high marks. Many institutes offer preparation and guidance for students who want to sit for these entrance exams.
Undergraduate Preparation
Students right after class 10 can choose Physics, Chemistry, Biology (with or without maths) to start preparing, or other courses that will help them to become a botanist in India. The following section discusses the step by step process to become a botanist after class 12th.
- After completion of class 10+2, one will have to clear the entrance examination and complete a 3 years undergraduate course.
- The student must have Physics, Cemistry and Biology as their compulsory subjects in class 12 with at least 50% in their 10+2 exams.
Postgraduate Preparation
- After completion of graduation, the candidate can do an internship and pursue further education by pursuing a masters degree (MSc).
- Students must aim to do well in their undergrduation. They must score a minimum of 60% marks and must also prepare for the entrance exam conducted by several universities to offer admission to the postgraduate programs.
Course to become a Botanist
To become a Botanist, a candidate must pursue BSc Botany or BSc Botany (Hons) as an undergraduate course and further can also pursue a postgraduate and doctoral degree to gain expertise and then follow a career as a Botanist.
BSc Botany
BSc Botany or Bachelor of Science in Botany is a 3-year full-time, undergraduate degree course, which mainly deals with the study of plants and their physiology.
- The admission method for BSc biology is based on merit for almost every top university.
- However, some faculties like Christ University, BHU etc conduct their own entrance exams for admission to BSc biology courses.
The minimum eligibility criteria for BSc Botany course is given below:
- The candidates should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board and must score well as the admission is based on merit
- Aspirants should have studied Biology as a compulsory subject in 10+2.
- Candidate’s age should be below twenty five years.
MSc Botany
MSc Botany is a postgraduate level 2 year Master degree course to gain specialisation in the field of botany. Admission to the course is through entrance exams. To take admission to the MSc course, a candidate must have a minimum 50% marks in their bachelors degree.
- The average fee of pursuing the course ranges from INR 30,000 to INR 2 LPA.
- The average salary earned after completing the degree ranges from INR 4-5 LPA.
- The minimum eligibility for seeking admission to the MSc Botany course is a BSc degree in Botany, Biological Sciences or Life Sciences.
PhD Botany
Ph.D. (Botany) is a 3 year doctorate level program in Botany. Students in the doctorate level focus on the study of plants and their survival and interaction with other living and nonliving components of the environment.
- The average fee ranges from INR 10,000-INR 50,000
- Candidates who are interested in taking admission to this course must have a master’s degree in a relevant field and must have scored at least 50% marks in their Master’s degree.
- The average salary after successful completion of the doctoral degree in Botany is INR 2-8 LPA.
CUCET (UG) Important Dates
| Registration Dates | February, 2023 |
| Exam Date | May 21, 2023 to May 31, 2023 |
| Result | June, 2023 |
CUCET (PG) Important Dates
| Registration Dates | February, 2023 |
| Exam Date | June 1, 2023 – June 10, 2023 |
| Result | June, 2023 |
DUET 2023 Important Dates
| Registration Dates | 1st week of April – 4th week of may, 2023 |
| Exam Date | June – July, 2023 |
| Result | August, 2023 |
How to become a Botanist Abroad
Students who want to get paid a high salary and want to pursue higher studies abroad can go to these countries and opt for a Msc or PhD course which would help them to gain more knowledge.
How to become a Botanist in UK
- The UK may be one of the famed destinations for study abroad as a result of several Research courses, of one year course period and fewer tuition fees, as compared to the USA.
- The common total tuition fees is around twenty five lakhs for the entire course.
- Apart from this, currently the UK offers an extension of two years in the United Kingdom Student Visa, that was of one year earlier. This resulted in an exaggerated range of international school applications in the United Kingdom.
- In terms of career opportunities, the UK offers a variety of extremely qualified jobs with an annual earnings of around 32,00,000 in step with Payscale. The duty market of the United Kingdom offers an earnings hike of around 6-20% within the current earnings.
Top colleges in UK
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| University College London (UCL) | INR 25,00,000 |
| Imperial College London | INR 34,00,000 |
| King’s College London | INR 27,00,000 |
| University of Bristol | INR 24,00,000 |
| University of Glasgow | INR 25,00,000 |
How to become a Botanist in US
- There are several master's degree courses in the USA that international students choose, particularly within the field of applied science and technology. Advanced course programmes, higher earnings, immense career growth and numerous scholarship choices are a number of the best reasons to pursue a master's degree in botany in the US.
- MSc Botanical science Admissions sometimes supported the GPA, GRE scores, TOEFL or IELTS scores, Statement of Purpose (SOP) and a minimum of three Letter of Recommendations.
- The average master's degree tuition fees are usually around INR 30-80 lakhs however it mostly depends upon the school, US state, funding and sort of school (government or private).
- After the course completion, students will earn a mean annual earnings of around INR sixty,00,000-90,00,000. It will be a lot of or less relying upon course choice and field of labor.
Top Colleges In USA
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| University of Chicago | INR 80,00,000 |
| Princeton University | INR 91,30,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania | INR 85,00,000 |
| Yale University | INR 84,00,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University | INR 55,00,000 |
How to become a Botanist in Canada
- Canada is another renowned international destination for the master's degree in botanical science course. Canada offers several master's degree programs in numerous domains like science, management, activity science etc.
- Because of its higher career and job opportunities in Canada for experienced professionals and fewer tuition and alternative living prices, international students like Canada because it is the best higher studies choice.
Top colleges in Canada Colleges
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| University of Toronto | INR 30,11,000 |
| McGill University | INR 22,00,000 |
| University of British Columbia (UBC) | INR 10,37,000 |
| University of Alberta | INR 14,00,000 |
| University of Montreal | INR 32,00,000 |
How to become a Botanist in Australia
- A Doctor of Philosophy in research in Australia will begin at any purpose within the year. This suggests that there is not usually a strict point for applications. As a general rule, you ought to apply a minimum of four months before you hope to start out your Doctor of Philosophy.
- A 4-year undergrad degree in an exceedingly relevant discipline, together with a considerable analysis part (equivalent to a minimum of twenty fifth of one year of full-time study), with a weighted average mark of a minimum of seventy fifth in your final year subjects or equivalent, or
- Qualification and skilled expertise thought-about to be equivalent.
Additionally, you want to have:
- Referee reports (not required if you've got graduated from the University of Melbourne at intervals the last five years), and
- Endorsement from a prospective supervisor.
- The validity of IELTS, TOEFL, and Pearson PTE tutorial tests has been briefly extended from 2 to a few years to review in Australia.
Top colleges in Australia
| University | Fees per Annum (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Australian National University | INR 24,19,000 |
| University of Sydney | INR 26,32,000 |
| University of Melbourne | INR 23,71,000 |
| University of New South Wales | INR 24,48,000 |
| University of Queensland | INR 21,87,00 |
| Monash University | INR 18,32,000 |
| University of Western Australia | INR 18,74,000 |
| University of Adelaide | INR 24,16,000 |
| University of Technology Sydney | INR 18,30,000 |
| University of Wollongong | INR 30,36,000 |
Benefits of Career as a Botanist
A botanist works on identifying plant varieties and one of the most reputed and well known professions worldwide. The profession of botanists offers various advantages that no other professions can offer. If you have a deep and keen interest in botanical science, then the profession of botanist is perfect for you as it offers various career benefits and opportunities to work in the field of botanical science. Here, Some of the benefits of a career as a botanist are given below.
High Salary
Being a botanist is a noble job, but on the other hand, most of the aspirants are also attracted to the lucrative salary that the profession offers. Salaries of botanists are more moderate than any other profession all across the world. This is one of the major reasons why students after class 12 wish to become botanists.
Positive Impact
Botanists are respected in society just because of their knowledge about different varieties of medicinal plants and because of the work they do and this brings them the motivation and a positive impact to do better in their career.
Job Security
Botanists have great knowledge related to plant species that’s why they can work in different research institutions and organisations. Because of the moderate employment rate, the profession of a botanist is probably the secure one.
Continual Learning
This profession gives you the opportunity to learn each and every moment at laboratories. Every day you get to know new cases that have a huge scope of learning. There is no end to new tasks in this profession and with every such case your learning keeps on growing.
Travel Opportunities
While you do not have the option to choose your preferred work location or city, you have the opportunity to travel to different places/ museums/ botanical gardens for research purposes.
How to Become a Botanist: Top Recruiters
The following are some of the top sectors and recruiters for people who are interested in pursuing a career as a Botanist.
| Agriculture sector | GBPIHED Recruitment For Research Associate (Botany) |
| Pharmaceuticals industry | Union Public Service Commission |
| Wildlife Sector | Forest Research Institute |
| Research Institutes | Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) |
| Educational Institutes | Wildlife Institute of India |
Job Opportunities for Botany Graduates
The following are the various Job opportunities for Botany Graduates in India. Theses are the live jobs that are available at the various job portals wit the job role, the offering authority and the expected salary
| Job Position Available | Company | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Coder | Achievers Spot | INR 300,000-INR 500,000 |
| Teacher | Extramarks Education India Pvt Ltd | INR 8,00,000 |
| Sales Executive | Jagtap Horticulture | INR 175,000-INR 225,000 |
| Associate Professor (Botany) | Invertis University | - |
| Botany- Lecturer | Swami Vivekanand Subharti University | - |
| Subject Matter Expert- Botany | Practically | - |
| Business Operations Executive | Thyrocare Technologies Limited | INR 200,000-INR 250,000 |
Skills required for Botanists
- Candidates must have the passion and ability to follow research activities.
- They must have good and well developed written and communication skills
- They must possess interest in conservation of plant life
- Candidates must know how to investigative temperament and have scientific interest
- The candidate must be persistent
- They have Problem solving abilities.
- Great knowledge and keen interest in botany
Salary of Botanist in India
Salaries of a botanist vary from experience and in different specialisations. A comparison made between different category wise salaries of botanists given below in tables.
Average annual salary
| Name of organisation | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| Private | INR 4.5 LPA |
| Public | INR 6 LPA |
Specialisation wise
| Botanist Jobs | Average Salary per annum (in Lakhs) |
|---|---|
| Taxonomist | 3.5 LPA |
| Plant Biochemist | 2.75 LPA |
| Ecologist | 4.5 LPA |
| Plant Physiologist | 6 LPA |
| Plant Biochemist | 2.5 LPA |
| Researcher | 3 LPA |
| Conservationist | 3.5 LPA |
| Plant Geneticist | 7.5 LPA |
| Morphologist | 3 LPA |
| Fruit Grower | 3.75 LPA |
| Cytologist | 4.25 LPA |
Experience wise
| Experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Fresher | INR 3,83,895 |
| Senior | INR 644,644 |
Career as a Botanist: FAQs
Ques: Which job role of botanists have a highly paid salary?
Ans.: Plant geneticist, Plant physiologist are some of the highly paid job roles of botanists.
Ques: Which undergraduate degree a candidate would prefer to make a career as a botanist?
Ans.: Students should be advised to take entrance tests conducted by top universities/colleges to get admission in BSc botany course which is preferred mostly by candidates who want to make their career as a botanist.
Ques: What are the subjects required to study to become a botanist?
Ans.: At 10+2 students must select Physics, Chemistry, biology ( with or without maths ) and undergraduate botany books which includes topics like genetic engineering, Plant anatomy, Anatomy of angiosperms etc. are required to study.
Ques: What is the average salary of a botanist in India?
Ans.: The average salary of a botanist in India ranges from 3-6 Lakh per annum.
Ques: What are the entrance tests available after 10+2 for taking admission in BSc Botany?
Ans.: Some of the popular entrance exams conducted by the various universities are:
- BIT-SAT
- MHT-CET
- WB-JEE
Ques.: What is the job outlook of a botanist?
Ans.: BLS predicts that positions for botanists and plant specialists will grow at an average rate of 8% to 14%, adding 6,700 jobs between 2013 and 2023.
Ques.: Are botanists in demand?
Ans.: The need for botanists and people trained in botany can still grow within the future. The headline of a recent newspaper article from the journal Nature was, "U.S. universities realize that demand for botanists exceeds supply." Businesses, industry, and analysis centers also are trying to find botanists.
Ques.: Do botanists make good money?
Ans.: Depending on wherever they work and what they analyze, botanists will build $33,000 to $103,000 per annum. Most botanists average $60,000 per annum. If you wish to explore a scientific career as a botanist, notice your biological science niche and go wild.
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