Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
19-1031 Conservation Scientists
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 estimates for Conservation Scientists
Industry profile for Conservation Scientists
Geographic profile for Conservation Scientists
National estimates for Conservation Scientists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Conservation Scientists:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 22,790 |
1.5 % |
$ 35.17 |
$ 73,160 |
0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Conservation Scientists:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 20.60 |
$ 25.48 |
$ 33.05 |
$ 42.05 |
$ 50.70 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 42,850 |
$ 53,000 |
$ 68,750 |
$ 87,460 |
$ 105,460 |
Industry profile for Conservation Scientists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Conservation Scientists are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Conservation Scientists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Conservation Scientists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
6,940 |
0.32 |
$ 41.45 |
$ 86,220 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
5,100 |
0.09 |
$ 31.25 |
$ 64,990 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
3,940 |
0.19 |
$ 30.31 |
$ 63,050 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations |
3,920 |
1.55 |
$ 32.94 |
$ 68,520 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
760 |
0.02 |
$ 35.43 |
$ 73,690 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Conservation Scientists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Social Advocacy Organizations |
3,920 |
1.55 |
$ 32.94 |
$ 68,520 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
6,940 |
0.32 |
$ 41.45 |
$ 86,220 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
3,940 |
0.19 |
$ 30.31 |
$ 63,050 |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions |
190 |
0.11 |
$ 28.61 |
$ 59,510 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
5,100 |
0.09 |
$ 31.25 |
$ 64,990 |
Top paying industries for Conservation Scientists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
510 |
0.03 |
$ 42.88 |
$ 89,190 |
| Real Estate |
80 |
(7) |
$ 41.89 |
$ 87,140 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
6,940 |
0.32 |
$ 41.45 |
$ 86,220 |
| Employment Services |
60 |
(7) |
$ 39.42 |
$ 82,000 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
510 |
0.03 |
$ 39.02 |
$ 81,150 |
Geographic profile for Conservation Scientists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Conservation Scientists are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Conservation Scientists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Conservation Scientists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
1,840 |
0.10 |
0.68 |
$ 41.27 |
$ 85,850 |
| Texas |
1,600 |
0.12 |
0.79 |
$ 29.85 |
$ 62,100 |
| Colorado |
1,490 |
0.53 |
3.51 |
$ 37.86 |
$ 78,760 |
| Wisconsin |
950 |
0.33 |
2.19 |
$ 33.56 |
$ 69,800 |
| Pennsylvania |
910 |
0.15 |
1.02 |
$ 29.94 |
$ 62,280 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Conservation Scientists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
400 |
1.27 |
8.46 |
$ 39.41 |
$ 81,980 |
| South Dakota |
500 |
1.14 |
7.57 |
$ 30.87 |
$ 64,200 |
| Montana |
400 |
0.80 |
5.31 |
$ 36.41 |
$ 75,740 |
| Wyoming |
170 |
0.61 |
4.07 |
$ 35.74 |
$ 74,350 |
| Colorado |
1,490 |
0.53 |
3.51 |
$ 37.86 |
$ 78,760 |
Top paying states for Conservation Scientists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
60 |
0.08 |
0.55 |
$ 48.88 |
$ 101,670 |
| Connecticut |
70 |
0.04 |
0.29 |
$ 45.90 |
$ 95,470 |
| Hawaii |
120 |
0.19 |
1.24 |
$ 44.24 |
$ 92,010 |
| Maryland |
370 |
0.14 |
0.92 |
$ 44.02 |
$ 91,560 |
| California |
1,840 |
0.10 |
0.68 |
$ 41.27 |
$ 85,850 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Conservation Scientists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fort Collins, CO |
660 |
3.79 |
25.28 |
$ 39.45 |
$ 82,060 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
520 |
0.05 |
0.37 |
$ 38.55 |
$ 80,180 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
510 |
0.18 |
1.22 |
$ 35.09 |
$ 72,990 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
460 |
0.15 |
1.00 |
$ 46.22 |
$ 96,140 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
460 |
0.10 |
0.67 |
$ 32.49 |
$ 67,570 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
430 |
0.27 |
1.79 |
$ 37.89 |
$ 78,800 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
390 |
0.20 |
1.35 |
$ 40.37 |
$ 83,970 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX |
390 |
0.31 |
2.09 |
$ 28.85 |
$ 60,010 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
360 |
0.30 |
2.00 |
$ 41.86 |
$ 87,070 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
350 |
0.12 |
0.83 |
$ 28.42 |
$ 59,110 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Conservation Scientists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fort Collins, CO |
660 |
3.79 |
25.28 |
$ 39.45 |
$ 82,060 |
| Jefferson City, MO |
160 |
2.07 |
13.77 |
$ 26.78 |
$ 55,700 |
| Fairbanks, AK |
60 |
1.83 |
12.20 |
$ 42.90 |
$ 89,240 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA |
220 |
1.81 |
12.09 |
$ 36.65 |
$ 76,230 |
| Anchorage, AK |
220 |
1.29 |
8.61 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Corvallis, OR |
40 |
1.13 |
7.52 |
$ 44.79 |
$ 93,160 |
| Missoula, MT |
60 |
0.88 |
5.89 |
$ 41.60 |
$ 86,520 |
| Jackson, MS |
190 |
0.75 |
5.01 |
$ 27.61 |
$ 57,440 |
| Santa Fe, NM |
50 |
0.74 |
4.93 |
$ 36.23 |
$ 75,350 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR |
70 |
0.72 |
4.81 |
$ 38.59 |
$ 80,260 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Conservation Scientists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
90 |
0.08 |
0.54 |
$ 53.56 |
$ 111,390 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
60 |
0.13 |
0.84 |
$ 52.06 |
$ 108,290 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
170 |
0.17 |
1.11 |
$ 46.79 |
$ 97,330 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
170 |
0.08 |
0.54 |
$ 46.70 |
$ 97,140 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
460 |
0.15 |
1.00 |
$ 46.22 |
$ 96,140 |
| Springfield, MA-CT |
90 |
0.27 |
1.79 |
$ 45.06 |
$ 93,710 |
| Corvallis, OR |
40 |
1.13 |
7.52 |
$ 44.79 |
$ 93,160 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT |
30 |
0.05 |
0.37 |
$ 44.44 |
$ 92,440 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
40 |
0.43 |
2.83 |
$ 44.07 |
$ 91,670 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA |
30 |
0.15 |
1.01 |
$ 43.87 |
$ 91,260 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Conservation Scientists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Conservation Scientists:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Conservation Scientists:
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
