Careers / Park Naturalists

Park Naturalists — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$73,010

United States, 2025

Employment

25,950

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 4

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Plan, develop, and conduct programs to inform public of historical, natural, and scientific features of national, state, or local park.

O*NET code
19-1031.03
Job zone
4
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • Train staff and volunteers on park programs.
  • Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
  • Provide care for park program animals.
  • Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions.
  • Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
  • Prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features.
  • Plan and organize public events at the park.
  • Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$47,550
10th
$57,700
25th
$73,010
Median
$91,560
75th
$110,410
90th

10th percentile

$47,550

25th percentile

$57,700

75th percentile

$91,560

90th percentile

$110,410

Most important skills

  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing3.9
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Service Orientation3.4
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Instructing3.1
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.0

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 16 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

16

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

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Speaking4.04.1Not selected4.1
Active Listening3.94.0Not selected4.0
Writing3.93.9Not selected3.9
Reading Comprehension3.84.0Not selected4.0
Critical Thinking3.83.8Not selected3.8
Social Perceptiveness3.83.6Not selected3.6
Service Orientation3.43.3Not selected3.3
Monitoring3.33.3Not selected3.3
Judgment and Decision Making3.33.3Not selected3.3
Active Learning3.13.3Not selected3.3
Instructing3.13.1Not selected3.1
Learning Strategies3.03.1Not selected3.1
Time Management3.03.1Not selected3.1
Management of Personnel Resources3.03.0Not selected3.0
Coordination3.03.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
San Jose, CA$110,200702025
Springfield, IL$107,990402025
Boulder, CO$101,380702025
DC$99,4001102025
Washington, DC$99,3604902025
San Francisco, CA$97,8104102025
Salem, OR$95,470902025
Salt Lake City, UT$93,4701702025
Trenton, NJ$86,770502025
Eau Claire, WI$86,070302025
Madison, WI$85,1102602025
CO$84,8201,2302025
Fort Collins, CO$84,8206502025
Missoula, MT$84,250802025
Portland, OR$83,5804502025
MD$83,2904702025
Bend, OR$82,6301002025
Carson City, NV$82,4202025
Seattle, WA$82,3803102025
Barnstable Town, MA$82,090602025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Park Naturalists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career 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.