Salaries for conservation scientists (an occupation that includes conservation land managers and range managers,) ranged from less than $42,850 to $105,460 or more annually in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Median earnings were $68,750. Fifty percent of conservation scientists earned between $53,000 and $87,460. Very experienced managers at large trusts can earn higher salaries—ranging from $75,000 to $110,000 or more.
Federal government agency jobs ($86,220 in May 2023, according to the DOL) pay more than local ($64,990) or state ($63,050) government jobs. Salaries at nonprofits can be competitive but tend to be at the lower end of the pay range. Salaries also tend to vary by region.
Benefits for workers in this field depend on the employer; however, they usually include such items as health insurance, retirement or 401(k) plans, and paid vacation days.
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Agricultural Scientists
- Air Quality Engineers
- Ambassadors
- Aquarists
- Arborists
- Archaeologists
- Archivists
- Aviation Safety Inspectors
- Bailiffs
- Bank Examiners
- Biochemists
- Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers
- Biofuels Processing Technicians
- Biofuels Production Managers
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Biologists
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Biomass Power Plant Managers
- Border Patrol Agents
- Botanists
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Campaign Workers
- Chemists
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- City Managers
- Civil Engineers
- Climate Scientists
- Congressional Aides
- Construction Inspectors
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Customs Officials
- Demographers
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Volunteers
- Ecologists
- Economists
- Emergency Management Directors
- Energy Conservation Technicians
- Energy Consultants
- Environmental Economists
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Engineers
- Environmental Lawyers
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Environmental Planners
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Environmental Scientists
- Environmental Technicians
- EPA Special Agents
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- FBI Agents
- Federal and State Officials
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Foreign Service Officers
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Forest Fire Prevention Specialists
- Foresters
- Forestry Technicians
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- Fund-Raisers
- Futurists
- Geological Technicians
- Geologists
- Geophysicists
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Green Builders
- Green Hotel/Resort Ecomanagers
- Green Products Manufacturers
- Green Transportation Careers
- Grounds Managers
- Groundwater Professionals
- Hazardous Waste Management Specialists
- Hazardous Waste Management Technicians
- Health and Regulatory Inspectors
- Historians
- Historic Preservationists
- Horticultural Inspectors
- Horticultural Technicians
- Hydropower and Marine Energy Industry Workers
- Indoor Environmental Health Specialists
- Industrial Ecologists
- Intelligence Officers
- Interpreters
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Landscape Architects
- Landscapers
- Librarians
- Lobbyists
- Logging Industry Workers
- Marine Biologists
- Methane/Landfill Gas Collection System Operators
- Methane/Landfill Gas Generation System Technicians
- Microbiologists
- Military Recruiters
- Military Workers, Enlisted
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- National Park Service Employees
- Naturalists
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Oceanographers
- Paper Processing Workers
- Park Rangers
- Policy Analysts
- Political Consultants
- Political Scientists
- Press Secretaries
- Proposal Managers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Rabbis
- Range Managers
- Recreation Workers
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers
- Recycling Coordinators
- Regional and Local Officials
- Renewable Energy Careers
- Renewable Energy Engineers
- Rewilders
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Social Workers
- Soil Conservationists and Technicians
- Soil Scientists
- Traffic Engineers
- Translators
- Transportation Planners
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Technicians
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Wildland Firefighters
- Wood Science and Technology Workers
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
- Zoologists