Range Managers Career, Salary and Skills
Range Managers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $73,010 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 25,950. Wage data is published for 184 locations.
Occupation description
Research or study range land management practices to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife.
O*NET code
19-1031.02
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$73,010
Hourly median
$35.10
Employment
25,950
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 4.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Writing | 3.38 | 3.75 |
Typical tasks
- Study grazing patterns to determine number and kind of livestock that can be most profitably grazed and to determine the best grazing seasons.
- Maintain soil stability and vegetation for non-grazing uses, such as wildlife habitats and outdoor recreation.
- Manage forage resources through fire, herbicide use, or revegetation to maintain a sustainable yield from the land.
- Mediate agreements among rangeland users and preservationists as to appropriate land use and management.
- Study rangeland management practices and research range problems to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife.
- Offer advice to rangeland users on water management, forage production methods, and control of brush.
- Coordinate with federal land managers and other agencies and organizations to manage and protect rangelands.
- Tailor conservation plans to landowners' goals, such as livestock support, wildlife, or recreation.
Technology
- Adobe Photoshop
- Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System APIRS
- Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment AGWA
- BehavePlus
- Clark Labs IDRISI Selva
- CorridorDesigner
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- ESRI software
- ESSA Technologies Path Landscape Model
- ESSA TechnologiesTool for Exploratory Landscape Scenario Analyses TELSA
- FARSITE
- FEAT/Firemon integrated FFI
- Fire Spread Probability FSPro
Range Managers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Range Managers Salary in CAMedian $79,810 · Employment 2,110
- Range Managers Salary in TXMedian $68,620 · Employment 1,970
- Range Managers Salary in WAMedian $78,450 · Employment 1,270
- Range Managers Salary in COMedian $84,820 · Employment 1,230
- Range Managers Salary in ORMedian $80,790 · Employment 1,020
- Range Managers Salary in WIMedian $79,540 · Employment 970
- Range Managers Salary in FLMedian $51,130 · Employment 950
- Range Managers Salary in PAMedian $61,480 · Employment 900
- Range Managers Salary in MIMedian $63,500 · Employment 820
- Range Managers Salary in MNMedian $71,280 · Employment 770
- Range Managers Salary in MAMedian $78,740 · Employment 760
- Range Managers Salary in ILMedian $69,590 · Employment 730
Related careers
- Hydrologic TechniciansNational median $64,790
- BiologistsNational median $98,920
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention SpecialistsNational median $56,870
- Environmental EngineersNational median $107,110
- Chief Sustainability OfficersNational median $213,990
- Agricultural EngineersNational median $98,590
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site ManagersNational median $141,900
- Fish and Game WardensNational median $74,060
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.