Conservation scientists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,550 | $22.86 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $73,010 | $35.10 |
| Mean (average) | $77,130 | $37.08 |
| 90th percentile | $110,410 | $53.08 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Conservation scientists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $77,000 | $48,730 | $115,590 | 110 | 0.31 |
| Alaska | $79,260 | $53,830 | $135,120 | 290 | 5.3 |
| Arizona | $66,750 | $47,410 | $104,750 | 410 | 0.76 |
| Arkansas | $73,320 | $51,630 | $109,300 | 230 | 1.06 |
| California | $79,810 | $53,650 | $132,060 | 2,110 | 0.69 |
| Colorado | $84,820 | $57,710 | $134,350 | 1,230 | 2.57 |
| Connecticut | $73,860 | $65,430 | $123,320 | 140 | 0.5 |
| Delaware | $63,850 | $48,650 | $89,990 | 80 | 1.02 |
| District of Columbia | $99,400 | $66,130 | $142,430 | 110 | 0.97 |
| Florida | $51,130 | $37,110 | $98,360 | 950 | 0.57 |
| Georgia | $69,240 | $49,230 | $137,450 | 360 | 0.44 |
| Hawaii | $65,740 | $42,300 | $132,020 | 220 | 2.14 |
| Idaho | $81,330 | $47,300 | $99,560 | 300 | 2.13 |
| Illinois | $69,590 | $42,020 | $117,590 | 730 | 0.72 |
| Indiana | $64,570 | $39,200 | $105,020 | 430 | 0.8 |
| Iowa | $69,240 | $50,320 | $97,870 | 610 | 2.36 |
| Kansas | $67,200 | $48,440 | $105,370 | 220 | 0.91 |
| Kentucky | $71,980 | $45,710 | $106,330 | 180 | 0.53 |
| Louisiana | $80,190 | $29,520 | $136,990 | 190 | 0.6 |
| Maine | $75,900 | $48,150 | $107,680 | 290 | 2.75 |
| Maryland | $83,290 | $57,760 | $128,610 | 470 | 1.02 |
| Massachusetts | $78,740 | $51,070 | $119,460 | 760 | 1.26 |
| Michigan | $63,500 | $44,680 | $109,300 | 820 | 1.12 |
| Minnesota | $71,280 | $45,740 | $106,330 | 770 | 1.57 |
| Mississippi | $59,510 | $42,160 | $106,330 | 470 | 2.42 |
| Missouri | $63,130 | $44,570 | $97,680 | 600 | 1.22 |
| Montana | $73,920 | $48,660 | $106,330 | 560 | 6.53 |
| Nebraska | $76,400 | $54,500 | $106,330 | 220 | 1.3 |
| Nevada | $73,030 | $36,780 | $107,920 | 210 | 0.79 |
| New Hampshire | $74,650 | $44,340 | $103,710 | 130 | 1.14 |
| New Jersey | $64,020 | $50,340 | $107,240 | 500 | 0.7 |
| New Mexico | $76,800 | $46,520 | $111,010 | 330 | 2.25 |
| New York | $76,990 | $46,580 | $115,210 | 640 | 0.4 |
| North Carolina | $64,460 | $47,190 | $111,740 | 540 | 0.65 |
| North Dakota | $77,280 | $51,470 | $109,300 | 340 | 4.7 |
| Ohio | $63,160 | $44,070 | $99,780 | 680 | 0.74 |
| Oklahoma | $71,270 | $42,000 | $106,420 | 310 | 1.07 |
| Oregon | $80,790 | $61,110 | $130,400 | 1,020 | 3.1 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,480 | $38,560 | $93,100 | 900 | 0.89 |
| Puerto Rico | $71,280 | $42,300 | $112,260 | 50 | 0.34 |
| Rhode Island | $76,130 | $56,580 | $173,650 | 60 | 0.66 |
| South Carolina | $52,310 | $37,810 | $96,100 | 300 | 0.78 |
| South Dakota | $76,400 | $51,100 | $100,420 | 360 | 4.66 |
| Tennessee | $70,500 | $48,190 | $109,300 | 250 | 0.46 |
| Texas | $68,620 | $53,440 | $92,320 | 1,970 | 0.84 |
| Utah | $78,850 | $55,090 | $104,000 | 410 | 1.41 |
| Vermont | $70,130 | $49,750 | $105,420 | 100 | 2 |
| Virgin Islands | $50,080 | $34,300 | $65,520 | 40 | 8.2 |
| Virginia | $77,380 | $45,910 | $161,470 | 480 | 0.7 |
| Washington | $78,450 | $59,700 | $106,710 | 1,270 | 2.14 |
| West Virginia | $69,910 | $42,670 | $133,470 | 160 | 1.39 |
| Wisconsin | $79,540 | $47,440 | $102,750 | 970 | 1.97 |
| Wyoming | $81,310 | $49,940 | $100,420 | 150 | 3.24 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for conservation scientists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for conservation scientists
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture CIP 01.0308
- Range Science and Management CIP 01.1106
- Natural Resources/Conservation, General CIP 03.0101
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General CIP 03.0201
- Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management CIP 03.0205
- Land Use Planning and Management/Development CIP 03.0206
- Forestry, General CIP 03.0501
- Forest Sciences and Biology CIP 03.0502
- Forest Management/Forest Resources Management CIP 03.0506
- Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management CIP 03.0601
- Ecology CIP 26.1301
- Environmental Biology CIP 26.1305
- Conservation Biology CIP 26.1307
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology CIP 26.1310
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other CIP 26.1399
- Sustainability Studies CIP 30.3301
- Geography and Environmental Studies CIP 30.4401
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
- Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water.
- Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
- Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions.
- Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
- Compute design specifications for implementation of conservation practices, using survey or field information, technical guides or engineering manuals.
- Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations.
- Participate on work teams to plan, develop, or implement programs or policies for improving environmental habitats, wetlands, or groundwater or soil resources.
Technology skills
- ESRI ArcGIS software (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Autodesk Maya
- Clover Technology GALENA
- CroPMan
- CropSyst Suite
- Datasurge GEOPRO
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Coordination, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Conservationist, Environmental Analyst, Environmental Quality Scientist, Erosion Control Specialist, Land Reclamation Specialist, Land Resource Specialist, Research Soil Scientist, Resource Conservation Specialist, Resource Conservationist, Soil Conservationist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do conservation scientists make?
The national median annual wage for conservation scientists was $73,010 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $47,550 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $110,410. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do conservation scientists need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is conservation scientists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of conservation scientists to change +5.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay conservation scientists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($99,400), Colorado ($84,820), Maryland ($83,290). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.