Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
22,200	1.7 %	$31.40	$65,320	0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$16.35	$22.22	$29.48	$38.27	$47.33
Annual Wage (2)	$34,020	$46,210	$61,310	$79,600	$98,450

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	6,400	0.32	$38.22	$79,490
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	5,350	0.25	$25.74	$53,550
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	4,770	0.09	$27.09	$56,350
Social Advocacy Organizations	2,840	1.32	$31.13	$64,740
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1,050	0.03	$34.84	$72,460

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Social Advocacy Organizations	2,840	1.32	$31.13	$64,740
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	6,400	0.32	$38.22	$79,490
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	5,350	0.25	$25.74	$53,550
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	160	0.10	$26.86	$55,880
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	4,770	0.09	$27.09	$56,350

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	60	0.01	$47.51	$98,820
Scientific Research and Development Services	370	0.05	$43.71	$90,930
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	6,400	0.32	$38.22	$79,490
Grantmaking and Giving Services	40	0.03	$35.18	$73,180
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1,050	0.03	$34.84	$72,460

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Texas	2,010	0.17	1.08	$27.88	$57,990
California	1,990	0.12	0.76	$36.53	$75,980
Colorado	1,320	0.51	3.29	$34.21	$71,170
Florida	1,020	0.12	0.78	$19.53	$40,620
Washington	920	0.28	1.84	$31.31	$65,120

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Montana	570	1.22	7.96	$31.00	$64,480
South Dakota	320	0.75	4.87	$29.99	$62,390
Mississippi	770	0.68	4.45	$26.38	$54,870
Wyoming	170	0.64	4.16	$34.22	$71,180
North Dakota	240	0.57	3.71	$31.20	$64,900

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska	180	0.56	3.63	$44.90	$93,390
Connecticut	60	0.04	0.24	$42.17	$87,710
New Jersey	310	0.08	0.50	$41.04	$85,360
Maryland	340	0.13	0.82	$38.02	$79,070
Oregon	670	0.35	2.30	$36.92	$76,790

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	800	0.25	1.66	$39.93	$83,050
Fort Collins, CO	700	4.38	28.53	$34.08	$70,900
Jackson, MS	470	1.77	11.57	$25.95	$53,980
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	460	0.05	0.32	(8)	(8)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	440	0.18	1.19	$42.50	$88,400
Austin-Round Rock, TX	420	0.41	2.67	$28.04	$58,330
Baton Rouge, LA	350	0.88	5.76	$28.53	$59,350
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	330	0.07	0.46	$27.27	$56,720
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	280	0.10	0.65	$26.50	$55,130
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	280	0.09	0.61	$25.53	$53,090

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Fort Collins, CO	700	4.38	28.53	$34.08	$70,900
Olympia-Tumwater, WA	240	2.16	14.07	$31.75	$66,030
Jackson, MS	470	1.77	11.57	$25.95	$53,980
Corvallis, OR	60	1.62	10.59	$44.21	$91,950
Missoula, MT	80	1.41	9.18	$35.46	$73,760
Bend-Redmond, OR	90	1.08	7.05	$29.66	$61,700
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	50	1.01	6.60	$28.24	$58,740
Logan, UT-ID	50	0.96	6.26	$27.59	$57,380
Baton Rouge, LA	350	0.88	5.76	$28.53	$59,350
Jefferson City, MO	50	0.70	4.54	$24.86	$51,710