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Field of degree: Natural resources

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Natural resources field of degree. Employment: 584,450. Median annual wage: $62,000.

Table 1. Natural resources degree, 2023.

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Table 1. Natural resources degree, 2023
Data	Natural resources	All fields
Employment	584,450	63,725,710
Median wage	62,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	13	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	53	62
Percent with an advanced degree	31	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of natural resources majors, 2023.

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Chart 1. Types of natural resources, 2023
Natural resources majors	Major share
Environmental Science	59%
Natural Resources Management	29
Forestry	11
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, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a natural resources degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	18%
Life, physical, and social science occupations	14
Business and financial operations occupations	9
Educational instruction and library occupations	9
Sales and related occupations	6
Other	43
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
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2023	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2023	Percent growth, projected 2024–34	Typical entry-level education
Managers, all other	7%	21%	4%	Bachelor's degree
Conservation scientists	3	29	3	Bachelor's degree
Biological scientists, all other	2	47	1	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	2	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	2	36	4	Bachelor's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	2	74	17	Doctoral or professional degree
Project management specialists	2	25	6	Bachelor's degree
Management analysts	2	36	9	Bachelor's degree
Physical scientists, all other	2	69	1	Bachelor's degree
Chief executives	1	32	4	Bachelor's degree
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 August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025