Conservation Scientists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-1031 · O*NET 19-1031.00
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.
Conservation Scientists fall under the Life, Physical, and Social Science category in the U.S. occupational classification. Conservation Scientists earn a median salary of $73,010 per year, ranking in the top 36% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +5.3% job growth through 2035, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do conservation scientists earn?
The median annual wage for conservation scientists is $73,010. That puts conservation scientists at #297 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $47,550 |
| 25th percentile | $57,700 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $73,010 |
| 75th percentile | $91,560 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $110,410 |
| Median hourly wage | $35.10/hr |
Is conservation scientists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for conservation scientists is +5.3%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 27K positions in 2024 to 29K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do conservation scientists do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working conservation scientists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
- 2.Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
- 3.Manage field offices or involve staff in cooperative ventures.
- 4.Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
- 5.Provide information, knowledge, expertise, or training to government agencies at all levels to solve water or soil management problems or to assure coordination of resource protection activities.
- 6.Identify or recommend integrated weed and pest management (IPM) strategies, such as resistant plants, cultural or behavioral controls, soil amendments, insects, natural enemies, barriers, or pesticides.
- 7.Develop or conduct environmental studies, such as plant material field trials or wildlife habitat impact studies.
- 8.Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations.
Top skills for conservation scientists
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become conservation scientist?
The standard path into conservation scientists begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about conservation scientists
What is the median salary for conservation scientists?
The median annual salary for conservation scientists is $73,010 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is conservation scientists a growing career?
BLS projects +5.3% growth for conservation scientists from 2025 through 2035, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become conservation scientist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to conservation scientists?
Related occupations within the Life, Physical, and Social Science category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.