# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/conservation-scientists
- SOC code: 19-1031.00
- Career family: Science
- Median annual pay: $73,010 (10th percentile $47,550, 90th percentile $110,410)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +5.3%
- Openings a year: 2,100
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code IRC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 69 |
| Investigative (I) | 78 |
| Artistic (A) | 16 |
| Social (S) | 31 |
| Enterprising (E) | 36 |
| Conventional (C) | 50 |

## What you'd do

- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 88/100)
- Getting Information (importance 86/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 86/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 80/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 79/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 79/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 79/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 76/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 76/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 76/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Science, Writing, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring

## Knowledge

English Language, Biology, Geography, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Chemistry, Law and Government, Computers and Electronics, Engineering and Technology, Education and Training

## Also called

Agricultural Consultant, Agriculture Consultant, Aquatic Ecologist, Aquatic Habitat Restoration Technician, Botany Technician, Conservation Agent, Conservation Associate, Conservation Engineer, Conservation Policy Analyst, Conservation Science Officer

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Natural Resources Conservation and Research](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0301) (CIP 0301, 1,081 colleges)
- [Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/2613) (CIP 2613, 353 colleges)
- [Agricultural Production Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0103) (CIP 0103, 294 colleges)
- [Sustainability Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/3033) (CIP 3033, 279 colleges)
- [Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0302) (CIP 0302, 204 colleges)
- [Plant Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0111) (CIP 0111, 162 colleges)
- [Forestry](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0305) (CIP 0305, 132 colleges)
- [Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0306) (CIP 0306, 94 colleges)
- [Geography and Environmental Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/3044) (CIP 3044, 67 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Forestry | $75,247 | $86,357 | $18,115 |
| [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york-656) | Sustainability Studies | $80,080 | $85,545 | $27,000 |
| [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus-1896) | Agricultural Production Operations | $66,359 | $83,779 | $23,246 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | not reported | $82,861 | not reported |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Plant Sciences | $58,916 | $82,487 | $19,333 |
| [California State University-Bakersfield](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-bakersfield-364) | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | $82,315 | not reported |
| [California Polytechnic State University-Humboldt](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-humboldt-361) | Forestry | $45,692 | $79,849 | $19,122 |
| [University of Southern California USC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $38,709 | $78,731 | $19,000 |

## Related careers

- [Environmental Restoration Planners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-restoration-planners): $82,220 median pay
- [Range Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/range-managers): $73,010 median pay
- [Industrial Ecologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/industrial-ecologists): $82,220 median pay
- [Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-scientists-and-specialists-including-health): $82,220 median pay
- [Soil and Plant Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/soil-and-plant-scientists): $78,850 median pay
- [Water Resource Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/water-resource-specialists): $167,220 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.