# Conservation Scientists

SOC 19-1031. Page: https://educationguide.com/careers/conservation-scientists

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.

## Pay and outlook
- U.S. median wage $73,010 (middle half $57,700–$91,560; BLS May 2025)
- Jobs 2025-35: 5.3%; ~2.1k openings a year; typical entry: Bachelor's degree

## Fields of degree of young workers (ages 25-34, bachelor's+)

## Median wage by state
- AK: $79,260
- AL: $77,000
- AR: $73,320
- AZ: $66,750
- CA: $79,810
- CO: $84,820
- CT: $73,860
- DC: $99,400
- DE: $63,850
- FL: $51,130
- GA: $69,240
- HI: $65,740
- IA: $69,240
- ID: $81,330
- IL: $69,590
- IN: $64,570
- KS: $67,200
- KY: $71,980
- LA: $80,190
- MA: $78,740
- MD: $83,290
- ME: $75,900
- MI: $63,500
- MN: $71,280
- MO: $63,130
- MS: $59,510
- MT: $73,920
- NC: $64,460
- ND: $77,280
- NE: $76,400
- NH: $74,650
- NJ: $64,020
- NM: $76,800
- NV: $73,030
- NY: $76,990
- OH: $63,160
- OK: $71,270
- OR: $80,790
- PA: $61,480
- PR: $71,280
- RI: $76,130
- SC: $52,310
- SD: $76,400
- TN: $70,500
- TX: $68,620
- UT: $78,850
- VA: $77,380
- VI: $50,080
- VT: $70,130
- WA: $78,450
- WI: $79,540
- WV: $69,910
- WY: $81,310

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#careers

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0). O*NET data: CC BY 4.0, O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA).