Conservation Scientists

Median salary

$73,010

Average salary

$77,130

Employment

25,950

Projected growth

3.4% growth

Annual openings

2,500

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

What Conservation Scientists Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 3.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 4 of 5

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

English Languageimportance 4.3/5
Biologyimportance 3.9/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.7/5
Geographyimportance 3.7/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
Chemistryimportance 3.5/5
Law and Governmentimportance 3.5/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail5.0/5
Telephone Conversations4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4/5
Freedom to Make Decisions4.1/5
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.0/5
Contact With Others3.9/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Fire Inspectors and Investigators98% skill match
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers98% skill match
Residential Advisors97% skill match
Social and Community Service Managers97% skill match
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists97% skill match
Obstetricians and Gynecologists97% skill match
Landscape Architects97% skill match
Farm and Home Management Educators97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.3/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Autodesk Maya
Clover Technology GALENA
CroPMan
CropSyst Suite
Datasurge GEOPRO
Delft GeoSystems MStab
ESRI ArcInfo
ESRI ArcView

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Cautiousness
Innovation
Intellectual Curiosity
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

InvestigativeHigh
RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
EnterprisingMedium
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where conservation scientists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Fort Collins-Loveland, CO23.08× national avg
2Jefferson City, MO16.28× national avg
3Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA14.66× national avg
4Corvallis, OR9.79× national avg
5Fairbanks-College, AK8.52× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Environmental EngineersCareer Change
Zoologists and Wildlife BiologistsLateral Move
General and Operations ManagersCareer Change
Landscape ArchitectsCareer Change

See the full career path from Conservation Scientists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.