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Field of degree: Natural resources

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Natural resources field of degree. Employment: 597,640. Median annual wage: $66,000.

Table 1. Natural resources degree, 2024.

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Table 1. Natural resources degree, 2024
Data	Natural resources	All fields
Employment	597,640	65,886,610
Median wage	66,000	73,000
Percent employed part time	13	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	55	61
Percent with an advanced degree	31	39
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Chart 1. Types of natural resources majors, 2024.

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Chart 1. Types of natural resources, 2024
Natural resources majors	Major share
Environmental Science	59
Natural Resources Management	30
Forestry	11
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a natural resources degree, by occupational group, 2024.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a natural resources degree, by occupational group, 2024
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	18
Life, physical, and social science occupations	15
Business and financial operations occupations	11
Educational instruction and library occupations	9
Office and administrative support occupations	7
Other	41
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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, 2024	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2024	Percent growth, projected 2025–35	Typical entry-level education
Managers, all other	6	22	5	Bachelor's degree
Conservation scientists	3	25	5	Bachelor's degree
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	3	33	6	Bachelor's degree
Biological scientists, all other	2	53	5	Bachelor's degree
Chief executives	2	32	3	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	2	50	0	Bachelor's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	2	75	18	Doctoral or professional degree
Management analysts	2	35	10	Bachelor's degree
Physical scientists, all other	2	68	2	Bachelor's degree
Project management specialists	2	26	7	Bachelor's degree
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau.

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 October 29, 2026).

Last modified date: October 29, 2026