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Field of degree: Natural resources

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Natural resources field of degree. Employment: 463,100. Median annual wage: $53,000.

Table 1. Natural resources degree, 2019.

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Table 1. Natural resources degree, 2019
Data	Natural resources	All fields
Employment	463,100	56,820,460
Median wage	53,000	60,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	52	60
Percent with an advanced degree	29	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of natural resources majors, 2019.

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Chart 1. Types of natural resources majors, 2019
Natural resources majors	Major share
Environmental Science	55%
Natural Resources Management	30
Forestry	15
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a natural resources degree, by occupational group, 2019.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a natural resources degree, by occupational group, 2019
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	17%
Life, physical, and social science occupations	15
Business and financial operations occupations	10
Educational instruction and library occupations	10
Office and administrative support occupations	6
Other	42
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a natural resources degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a natural resources degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2021–31	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2019	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2019
Postsecondary teachers	12%	Doctoral or professional degree	2%	73%
Management analysts	11	Bachelor's degree	2	32
Lawyers	10	Doctoral or professional degree	2	92
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	6	20
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	5	Bachelor's degree	3	34
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	5	Bachelor's degree	2	54
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	3	48
Biological scientists, all other	4	Bachelor's degree	2	53
Conservation scientists	3	Bachelor's degree	3	22
Physical scientists, all other	0	Bachelor's degree	2	70
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Natural resources,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/natural-resources/natural-resources-field-of-degree.htm (visited March 16, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022