Conservation Scientists
Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands. May instruct farmers, agricultural production managers, or ranchers in best ways to use crop rotation, contour plowing, or terracing to conserve soil and water; in the number and kind of livestock and forage plants best suited to particular ranges; and in range and farm improvements, such as fencing and reservoirs for stock watering.Salary by State
| State Name | Employment | Annual Salary | Hourly Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 330 | $89,360 | $42.96 | |
| Arizona | 310 | $65,110 | $31.30 | |
| Arkansas | 140 | $73,210 | $35.20 | |
| California | 1,230 | $76,060 | $36.57 | |
| Colorado | 1,450 | $72,680 | $34.94 | |
| Connecticut | 110 | $75,510 | $36.30 | |
| Delaware | 60 | $57,940 | $27.86 | |
| District of Columbia | 70 | $85,900 | $41.30 | |
| Florida | 730 | $58,800 | $28.27 | |
| Georgia | 330 | $73,970 | $35.56 | |
| Hawaii | 130 | $85,860 | $41.28 | |
| Idaho | 260 | $66,220 | $31.84 | |
| Illinois | 890 | $66,750 | $32.09 | |
| Indiana | 300 | $63,980 | $30.76 | |
| Iowa | 680 | $57,830 | $27.80 | |
| Kentucky | 180 | $61,430 | $29.54 | |
| Louisiana | 540 | $64,620 | $31.07 | |
| Maine | 120 | $60,280 | $28.98 | |
| Maryland | 320 | $82,000 | $39.42 | |
| Massachusetts | 380 | $85,330 | $41.02 | |
| Michigan | 500 | $63,110 | $30.34 | |
| Minnesota | 850 | $90,970 | $43.73 | |
| Mississippi | 940 | $57,170 | $27.49 | |
| Missouri | 710 | $52,870 | $25.42 | |
| Montana | 630 | $64,910 | $31.21 | |
| Nebraska | 220 | $66,640 | $32.04 | |
| Nevada | 150 | $78,250 | $37.62 | |
| New Hampshire | 90 | $76,690 | $36.87 | |
| New Jersey | 390 | $70,100 | $33.70 | |
| New Mexico | 250 | $72,020 | $34.63 | |
| New York | 290 | $73,710 | $35.44 | |
| North Carolina | 390 | $65,990 | $31.73 | |
| North Dakota | 320 | $65,960 | $31.71 | |
| Ohio | 440 | $62,650 | $30.12 | |
| Oklahoma | 190 | $69,730 | $33.53 | |
| Oregon | 650 | $76,570 | $36.81 | |
| Pennsylvania | 1,020 | $60,860 | $29.26 | |
| South Carolina | 150 | $68,990 | $33.17 | |
| South Dakota | 390 | $60,560 | $29.12 | |
| Tennessee | 160 | $72,760 | $34.98 | |
| Texas | 1,890 | $60,030 | $28.86 | |
| Utah | 210 | $68,240 | $32.81 | |
| Vermont | 70 | $73,230 | $35.21 | |
| Virginia | 530 | $74,390 | $35.76 | |
| Washington | 980 | $75,040 | $36.08 | |
| West Virginia | 170 | $56,510 | $27.17 | |
| Wisconsin | 820 | $67,880 | $32.64 | |
| Wyoming | 190 | $73,560 | $35.37 |
Education
The programs listed below are typically the education paths that can land you this kind of job.
A program that focuses on agricultural principles and practices that, over the long term, enhance environmental quality, make efficient use of nonrenewable resources, integrate natural biological cycles and controls, and are economically viable and socially responsible; and that may prepare individuals to apply this knowledge to the solution of agricultural and environmental problems. Includes instruction in principles of agroecology, crop and soil sciences, entomology, horticulture, animal science, weed science and management, soil fertility and nutrient cycling, applied ecology, agricultural economics, and rangeland ecology and watershed management.
A program that focuses on the scientific study of rangelands, arid regions, grasslands, and other areas of low productivity, as well as the principles of managing such resources for maximum benefit and environmental balance. Includes instruction in livestock management, wildlife biology, plant sciences, ecology, soil science, and hydrology.
A general program that focuses on the studies and activities relating to the natural environment and its conservation, use, and improvement. Includes instruction in subjects such as climate, air, soil, water, land, fish and wildlife, and plant resources; in the basic principles of environmental science and natural resources management; and the recreational and economic uses of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
A program that prepares individuals to plan, develop, manage, and evaluate programs to protect and regulate natural habitats and renewable natural resources. Includes instruction in the principles of wildlife and conservation biology, environmental science, animal population surveying, natural resource economics, management techniques for various habitats, applicable law and policy, administrative and communications skills, and public relations.
A program that prepares individuals to apply the principles of marine/aquatic biology, oceanography, natural resource economics, and natural resources management to the development, conservation, and management of freshwater and saltwater environments. Includes instruction in subjects such as wetlands, riverine, lacustrine, coastal, and oceanic water resources; water conservation and use; flood control; pollution control; water supply logistics; wastewater management; aquatic and marine ecology; aquatic and marine life conservation; and the economic and recreational uses of water resources.
A program that focuses on how public and/or private land and associated resources can be preserved, developed, and used for maximum social, economic, and environmental benefit. Includes instruction in natural resources management, natural resource economics, public policy, regional and land use planning, environmental impact assessment, applicable law and regulations, government and politics, principles of business and real estate land use, statistical and analytical tools, computer applications, mapping and report preparation, site analysis, cost analysis, and communications skills.
A program that generally prepares individuals to manage and develop forest areas for economic, recreational, and ecological purposes. Includes instruction in forest-related sciences, mapping, statistics, harvesting and production technology, natural resources management and economics, wildlife sciences, administration, and public relations.
A program that focuses on the application of one or more forest-related sciences to the study of environmental factors affecting forests and the growth and management of forest resources. Includes instruction in forest biology, forest hydrology, forest mensuration, silviculture, forest soils, water resources, environmental science, forest resources management, and wood science.
A program that prepares individuals to apply principles of forestry and natural resources management to the administration of forest lands and related resources. Includes instruction in silviculture, forest mensuration, forest protection, inventorying, biometrics, geographic information systems, remote sensing, photogrammetry, forest policy and economics, forest land use planning, fire protection and management, and related administrative skills.
A program that prepares individuals to conserve and manage wilderness areas and the flora, marine and aquatic life therein, and manage wildlife reservations and zoological/aquarium facilities for recreational, commercial, and ecological purposes. Includes instruction in wildlife biology, marine/aquatic biology, environmental science, freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, natural resources management and policy, outdoor recreation and parks management, the design and operation of natural and artificial wildlife habitats, applicable law and regulations, and related administrative and communications skills.
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the relationships and interactions of small-scale biological systems, such as organisms, to each other, to complex and whole systems, and to the physical and other non-biological aspects of their environments. Includes instruction in biogeochemistry; landscape and/or marine/aquatic dynamics; decomposition; global and regional elemental budgets; biotic and abiotic regulation of nutrient cycles; ecophysiology; ecosystem resilience, disturbance, and succession; community and habitat dynamics; organismal interactions (co-evolution, competition, predation); paleoecology; and evolutionary ecology.
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and natural history of living populations, communities, species, and ecosystems in relation to dynamic environmental processes. Includes instruction in biodiversity, molecular genetic and genomic evolution, mesoscale ecology, computational biology and modeling, conservation biology, local and global environmental change, and restoration ecology.
A program that focuses on the application of the biological sciences to the specific problems of biodiversity, species preservation, ecological sustainability, and habitat fragmentation in the face of advancing human social, economic, and industrial pressures. Includes instruction in ecology, environmental science, biological systems, extinction theory, human-animal and human-plant interaction, ecosystem science and management, wetland conservation, field biology, forest and wildlife biology, and natural history.
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the relationships and interactions across levels of biological organization--genes and genomes, organisms, species, and ecosystems--and how these change over time, including the origins and history of species, the processes by which biodiversity has evolved, and the ecological context in which this evolution takes place. Includes instruction in animal, plant, population, functional, evolutionary, and ecosystem ecology; ecological and evolutionary genetics; molecular evolution; population and conservation biology; animal and plant diversity; biometry; and scientific and research ethics.
Any instructional program in ecology, evolution, and systematics not listed above.
A program that focuses on the concept of sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective. Includes instruction in sustainable development, environmental policies, ethics, ecology, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, economics, natural resources, sociology, and anthropology.
A program that focuses on interactions between people and the natural and built environments. Includes instruction in climate science, sustainability, environmental science and policy, research methods, geographic information systems (GIS), human geography, physical geography, remote sensing, and public policy.
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$68,230 per yearNational average salaryModerateJob growth rate
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Bachelor's degreeTypical education requirement
Educational Attainment
The following chart shows the highest education level completed by those working as conservation scientists.
- Less than high school 0%
- High school graduate 0%
- College dropout 0%
- Associate’s degree 0%
- Bachelor’s degree 76%
- Master’s degree 19%
- Doctorate degree 5%
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