Conservation Scientists
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 19-1031.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $72,175
- Projected change
- +7.7%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 30.96K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
78.3% of the workforce
Growing to 33.34K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What conservation scientists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
- Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions.
- 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.
- Compute cost estimates of different conservation practices, based on needs of land users, maintenance requirements, or life expectancy of practices.
- Develop or maintain working relationships with local government staff or board members.
- Revisit land users to view implemented land use practices or plans.
- Visit areas affected by erosion problems to identify causes or determine solutions.
- Provide information, knowledge, expertise, or training to government agencies at all levels to solve water or soil management problems or to assure coordination of resource protection activities.
- Enter local soil, water, or other environmental data into adaptive or Web-based decision tools to identify appropriate analyses or techniques.
- Analyze results of investigations to determine measures needed to maintain or restore proper soil management.
- Develop, conduct, or participate in surveys, studies, or investigations of various land uses to inform corrective action plans.
- Coordinate or implement technical, financial, or administrative assistance programs for local government units to ensure efficient program implementation or timely responses to requests for assistance.
- Respond to complaints or questions on wetland jurisdiction, providing information or clarification.
- Compile or interpret biodata to determine extent or type of wetlands or to aid in program formulation.
- Review proposed wetland restoration easements or provide technical recommendations.
- Review or approve amendments to comprehensive local water plans or conservation district plans.
- Develop soil maps.
- Manage field offices or involve staff in cooperative ventures.
- Initiate, schedule, or conduct annual audits or compliance checks of program implementation by local government.
- Identify or recommend integrated weed and pest management (IPM) strategies, such as resistant plants, cultural or behavioral controls, soil amendments, insects, natural enemies, barriers, or pesticides.
- Review annual reports of counties, conservation districts, or watershed management organizations, certifying compliance with mandated reporting requirements.
- Review grant applications or make funding recommendations.
- Develop or conduct environmental studies, such as plant material field trials or wildlife habitat impact studies.
- Conduct fact-finding or mediation sessions among government units, landowners, or other agencies to resolve disputes.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $44,975
- 25th percentile
- $55,789
- 50th percentile
- $72,175
- 75th percentile
- $91,898
- 90th percentile
- $114,712
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $72,175 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.7%faster than average
202530,962 jobs
2035 projected33,344 jobs
2,382 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 78.3%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 13%
- Certificate
- 4.4%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 4.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Environmental Educators62 postings
- 02Outdoor Educators50 postings
- 03Conservation Specialists49 postings
- 04Intervention Specialists49 postings
- 05Directors of Conservation32 postings
- 06Environmental Education Interns32 postings
- 07Conservation Officers31 postings
- 08Conservation Interns29 postings
- 09Conservation Technicians28 postings
- 10Conservation Educators25 postings
- 11Conservation Planners25 postings
- 12Natural Resources Interns24 postings
- 13Operations Crew Members24 postings
- 14Interns22 postings
- 15Americorps Members21 postings
- 16Conservation Scientists21 postings
- 17Summer Interns21 postings
- 18Field Representatives20 postings
- 19Natural Resources Technicians20 postings
- 20Stewardship Coordinators20 postings
Top employers
- 01National Audubon Society63 postings
- 02Student Conservation Association58 postings
- 03Land Trust Alliance44 postings
- 04Conservation Legacy38 postings
- 05New Logic Marine Science Camp34 postings
- 06Ducks Unlimited31 postings
- 07State Of Illinois23 postings
- 08Northwest Youth Corps21 postings
- 09Nrcs19 postings
- 10State of Washington18 postings
- 11Appalachian Trail Conservancy17 postings
- 12Americorps16 postings
- 13Bristol-Myers Squibb16 postings
- 14Fund For The Public Interest15 postings
- 15The Nature Conservancy15 postings
- 16YMCA15 postings
- 17Crew14 postings
- 18South Western City Schools14 postings
- 19University of Georgia14 postings
- 20Environmental Jobs Network13 postings
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