Occupation salary profile

Conservation Scientists

SOC 19-1031 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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).

National median · BLS
$73,010
▲ +7.45% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$74,224
▲ +14.26% YoY · 24 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$77,130
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
25,950
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Conservation Scientists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 24 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$47,550$52,609
25th$57,700$59,375
Median (50th)$73,010$74,224
75th$91,560$90,000
90th — top pay$110,410$103,650
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $74,224 for Conservation Scientists — 1.7% above the BLS national median of $73,010.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Conservation Scientists

BLS projects employment of conservation scientists to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 2,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
27,700 → 29,200
+1,500 jobs
Projected change
+5.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $74,224
Change vs prior year +14.26%
After inflation (CPI-U) +10.79%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Conservation Scientists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.6
  • Speaking3.6
  • Critical Thinking3.5
  • Science3.5
  • Writing3.5
  • Active Learning3.3
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Monitoring3.3
Top knowledge areas
  • English Language4.3
  • Biology3.9
  • Geography3.7
  • Mathematics3.7
  • Customer and Personal Service3.6
  • Chemistry3.5
  • Law and Government3.5
  • Computers and Electronics3.4
Software and technology used
ESRI ArcGIS softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointAdobe AcrobatAutodesk AutoCADMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordAutodesk MayaClover Technology GALENACroPManCropSyst SuiteDatasurge GEOPRODelft GeoSystems MStabEmail software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What conservation scientists do

  • Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
  • Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water.
  • Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
  • Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions.
  • Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
  • Compute design specifications for implementation of conservation practices, using survey or field information, technical guides or engineering manuals.
  • Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations.
  • Participate on work teams to plan, develop, or implement programs or policies for improving environmental habitats, wetlands, or groundwater or soil resources.
Also called
ConservationistLand Resource SpecialistResearch Soil ScientistResource ConservationistEnvironmental AnalystEnvironmental Quality ScientistErosion Control SpecialistLand Reclamation SpecialistResource Conservation SpecialistSoil Conservationist
Specialties within this occupation
  • Range Managers
  • Park Naturalists
More job titles for this occupation (79)
Agricultural ConsultantAgriculture ConsultantAquatic EcologistAquatic Habitat Restoration TechnicianBotany TechnicianCamp RangerConservation AgentConservation AssociateConservation EngineerConservation Policy AnalystConservation Science OfficerConservation ScientistConservation SpecialistDepartment of Natural Resources Officer (DNR Officer)District ConservationistEcologist TechnicianEnvironmental ConsultantEnvironmental Education SpecialistEnvironmental EducatorEnvironmental PlannerEnvironmental SpecialistErosion and Sediment Control ProfessionalErosion Control CoordinatorErosion Control Design and Installation ContractorFarm PlannerField AgronomistForest Range Program ManagerForestry and Wildlife ManagerGrassland ConservationistInterdisciplinary Environmental EngineerInterpretation Park RangerInterpretive NaturalistInterpretive Park RangerLand Management SupervisorLand Use PlannerNational Park RangerNatural Resource EducatorNatural Resource Management SpecialistNatural Resource ManagerNatural Resource OfficerNatural Resource SpecialistNatural Resources OfficerNatural Resources ScientistNatural Resources SpecialistNaturalistPark Activities CoordinatorPark GuidePark Interpretive RangerPark Interpretive SpecialistPark Protection RangerPark RangerPark SpecialistPhysical ScientistRange ConservationistRange EcologistRange Management ConsultantRange Management SpecialistRange OfficerRange ScientistRangeland Management SpecialistReclamation SpecialistResource Physical ScientistResource Physical SpecialistResource ScientistResources Conservation CommissionerRestoration EcologistSoil Conservation TechnicianSoil SurveyorTerrestrial EcologistTerrestrial Habitat Restoration TechnicianTerritory ManagerWater Conservation SpecialistWater ConservationistWetland ScientistWetland SpecialistWetlands TechnicianWildlife ConservationistWildlife ManagerWildlife Refuge Manager

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.