How much does a conservation scientist make?

In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, useful skills, and licenses or certifications a state or employer requires. Employer type, location, specific duties, and hours matter too; field trips can mean weekends or longer weeks, and soil, water, or range work may call for different expertise.

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. Excludes “Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists” (19-1023) and “Foresters” (19-1032).

What's a typical day like?

A conservation scientist might hike across a farm, inspect eroded slopes, and talk with a farmer about protecting soil and water. Back at a computer, they map the land, check field data, and write a conservation plan.

In the U.S., earn a bachelor's degree in forestry, natural resources, agriculture, or biology, including ecology. Some states require a license; certification is optional, and people usually start after college.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like figuring things out and building and doing.

In U.S. conservation research, satellites can reveal pale eroded hilltops and dark soil washed into valleys—clues to soil loss.