Conservation Scientists Salary: $90,227 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 25,590 conservation scientists nationally earn a mean of $90,227. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.3% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Conservation Scientists: what the data shows
Common questions about conservation scientists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a conservation scientists?
Conservation Scientists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-1031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 25,590 workers.
What does a conservation scientists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a conservation scientists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $67,950 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $90,227 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,300 |
| 25th percentile | $64,743 |
| Median (50th) | $83,838 |
| 75th percentile | $105,121 |
| 90th percentile | $133,790 |
What education do you need?
For Conservation Scientists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including English Language, Biology, Geography, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is conservation scientists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 23.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 52.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 25,590.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do conservation scientistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 25,590 | 17.4% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 18,510 | 12.6% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 17,720 | 12.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 17,720 | 12.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 7,080 | 4.8% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 7,050 | 4.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Conservation Scientists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Animal Scientists | 2,470 | $79,120 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 22,510 | $99,240 |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,310 | $100,830 |
| Forest and Conservation Workers | 5,630 | $43,680 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Conservation Scientists workforce.
Employment Over Time
25,590 Workforce in 2023
The Conservation Scientists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Conservation Scientists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$90,227 Average Wage
In 2023, Conservation Scientists earned an average of $90,227.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Conservation Scientists.
Salary distribution for Conservation Scientists.
Employment Growth Projections
4.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
9,178 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 23.4%
11,322 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 52.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Conservation Scientists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Conservation Scientists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Conservation Scientists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Conservation Scientists.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Conservation Scientists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Conservation Scientists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 2,070 employees, $66,940 avg wage
- CA: 1,940 employees, $87,840 avg wage
- PA: 1,410 employees, $57,860 avg wage
- CO: 1,220 employees, $85,110 avg wage
- WI: 1,010 employees, $74,380 avg wage
- WA: 940 employees, $83,550 avg wage
- OR: 880 employees, $90,780 avg wage
- NY: 750 employees, $82,150 avg wage
- MA: 730 employees, $80,300 avg wage
- IL: 730 employees, $74,990 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Conservation Scientists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 700 employees, $75,980 avg wage
- Fort Collins-Loveland, CO: 650 employees, $83,460 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 600 employees, $95,950 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 450 employees, $68,190 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 440 employees, $78,790 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 370 employees, $96,040 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 360 employees, $71,070 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 340 employees, $103,400 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 330 employees, $77,820 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 320 employees, $60,400 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Conservation Scientists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Conservation Scientists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Conservation Scientists in 2023 was 25,590 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Conservation Scientists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Conservation Scientists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Conservation Scientists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Conservation Scientists in 2023 were Engineering, Biology, Chemistry.
Common majors for Conservation Scientists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Conservation Scientists workers.
Education level distribution for Conservation Scientists.
Skills
Conservation Scientists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Writing.
Required skills for Conservation Scientists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Conservation Scientists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Conservation Scientists include English Language, Biology, Geography, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Conservation Scientists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Conservation Scientists include Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Conservation Scientists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Conservation Scientists.
Daily Activities
Conservation Scientists spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Conservation Scientists.
About
Conservation Scientists
The average yearly wage for Conservation Scientists was $90,227 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-1031 - Conservation Scientists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Conservation Scientists reports an average salary of $90,227.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 25,590 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.