As a child, he enjoyed observing the behavior of birds, and visited various birdwatching hotspots around Massachusetts such as Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
Jed Burtt obtained a bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College in 1970, and shortly thereafter attended graduate school.
In 1977, he obtained his PhD from the University of Wisconsin with Jack P. Hailman, where he studied the evolution of color in wood-warblers (Parulidae).
During his final year of graduate school he had a one-year term at University of Tennessee as a visiting instructor.
To recognize this rare accomplishment, in 2015 the Wilson Ornithological Society established the Jed Burtt Mentoring Grants, which funds research and travel to meetings for professor and undergraduate teams.