Life & Physical Science
Conservation Scientists
SOC 19-1031
Help landowners and agencies improve the health and productivity of land.
The job
Median pay
$73k
$58k to $92k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+5.3% projected
Openings a year
2k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
6/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
40th pct
More exposed than 40% of occupations · modeled estimate · 54th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
55/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,110 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $80k |
| Texas | 1,970 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $69k |
| Washington | 1,270 | 0.4 | 2.1× | $78k |
| Colorado | 1,230 | 0.4 | 2.6× | $85k |
| Oregon | 1,020 | 0.5 | 3.1× | $81k |
| Wisconsin | 970 | 0.3 | 2.0× | $80k |
| Florida | 950 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $51k |
| Pennsylvania | 900 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $61k |
| Michigan | 820 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $64k |
| Minnesota | 770 | 0.3 | 1.6× | $71k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 760 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $79k |
| Illinois | 730 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $70k |
| Ohio | 680 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $63k |
| New York | 640 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $77k |
| Iowa | 610 | 0.4 | 2.3× | $69k |
| Missouri | 600 | 0.2 | 1.2× | $63k |
| Montana | 560 | 1.1 | 6.6× | $74k |
| North Carolina | 540 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $64k |
| New Jersey | 500 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $64k |
| Virginia | 480 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $77k |
| Maryland | 470 | 0.2 | 1.0× | $83k |
| Mississippi | 470 | 0.4 | 2.4× | $60k |
| Indiana | 430 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $65k |
| Arizona | 410 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $67k |
| Utah | 410 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $79k |
| Georgia | 360 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $69k |
| South Dakota | 360 | 0.8 | 4.7× | $76k |
| North Dakota | 340 | 0.8 | 4.7× | $77k |
| New Mexico | 330 | 0.4 | 2.3× | $77k |
| Oklahoma | 310 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $71k |
| Idaho | 300 | 0.3 | 2.1× | $81k |
| South Carolina | 300 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $52k |
| Alaska | 290 | 0.9 | 5.3× | $79k |
| Maine | 290 | 0.5 | 2.7× | $76k |
| Tennessee | 250 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $71k |
| Arkansas | 230 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $73k |
| Hawaii | 220 | 0.4 | 2.1× | $66k |
| Kansas | 220 | 0.2 | 0.9× | $67k |
| Nebraska | 220 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $76k |
| Nevada | 210 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $73k |
| Louisiana | 190 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $80k |
| Kentucky | 180 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $72k |
| West Virginia | 160 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $70k |
| Wyoming | 150 | 0.5 | 3.2× | $81k |
| Connecticut | 140 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $74k |
| New Hampshire | 130 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $75k |
| Alabama | 110 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $77k |
| Washington DC | 110 | 0.2 | 0.9× | $99k |
| Vermont | 100 | 0.3 | 2.0× | $70k |
| Delaware | 80 | 0.2 | 1.0× | $64k |
| Rhode Island | 60 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $76k |
Top metro areas
- Fort Collins-Loveland, CO650 jobs · $85k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ590 jobs · $64k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV490 jobs · $99k median
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH480 jobs · $79k median
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA450 jobs · $84k median
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX430 jobs · $69k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA410 jobs · $98k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN370 jobs · $63k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Conservation Scientists interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.