Careers / Conservation Scientists
Conservation Scientists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$73,010
United States, 2025
Employment
25,950
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 19-1031.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$47,550
25th percentile
$57,700
75th percentile
$91,560
90th percentile
$110,410
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Writing3.5
- Science3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Time Management3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Science | 3.5 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Conservation ScientistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $110,200 | 70 | 2025 |
| Springfield, IL | $107,990 | 40 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $101,380 | 70 | 2025 |
| DC | $99,400 | 110 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $99,360 | 490 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $97,810 | 410 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $95,470 | 90 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $93,470 | 170 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $86,770 | 50 | 2025 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $86,070 | 30 | 2025 |
| Madison, WI | $85,110 | 260 | 2025 |
| CO | $84,820 | 1,230 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $84,820 | 650 | 2025 |
| Missoula, MT | $84,250 | 80 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $83,580 | 450 | 2025 |
| MD | $83,290 | 470 | 2025 |
| Bend, OR | $82,630 | 100 | 2025 |
| Carson City, NV | $82,420 | — | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $82,380 | 310 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $82,090 | 60 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Conservation Scientists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.