Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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)
22,070	1.5 %	$32.23	$67,040	0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$18.88	$23.79	$30.12	$38.28	$47.14
Annual Wage (2)	$39,270	$49,480	$62,660	$79,630	$98,060

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)	6,290	0.31	$38.28	$79,610
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	5,010	0.09	$27.84	$57,900
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	4,960	0.23	$28.12	$58,480
Social Advocacy Organizations	2,980	1.34	$31.87	$66,290
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1,140	0.04	$35.14	$73,090

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	2,980	1.34	$31.87	$66,290
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	6,290	0.31	$38.28	$79,610
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	4,960	0.23	$28.12	$58,480
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	190	0.11	$27.04	$56,240
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	5,010	0.09	$27.84	$57,900

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	$48.33	$100,520
Scientific Research and Development Services	220	0.03	$42.33	$88,050
Grantmaking and Giving Services	30	0.02	$39.03	$81,180
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	6,290	0.31	$38.28	$79,610
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1,140	0.04	$35.14	$73,090

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	2,050	0.16	1.10	$28.69	$59,680
California	1,760	0.10	0.67	$38.71	$80,510
Colorado	1,300	0.48	3.22	$35.45	$73,740
Washington	1,020	0.31	2.04	$31.28	$65,070
Mississippi	840	0.75	4.96	$26.42	$54,950

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)
Alaska	370	1.15	7.67	$35.96	$74,800
Montana	520	1.12	7.45	$32.25	$67,080
South Dakota	320	0.76	5.06	$28.59	$59,470
Mississippi	840	0.75	4.96	$26.42	$54,950
Wyoming	190	0.71	4.71	$35.79	$74,440

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia	150	0.20	1.35	$45.03	$93,670
Connecticut	50	0.03	0.20	$42.98	$89,400
New Jersey	310	0.08	0.50	$42.30	$87,970
Maryland	360	0.13	0.89	$39.48	$82,130
California	1,760	0.10	0.67	$38.71	$80,510

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)
Fort Collins, CO	670	4.04	26.91	$35.01	$72,820
Jackson, MS	520	1.96	13.03	$25.93	$53,920
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	490	0.15	1.02	$43.81	$91,130
Austin-Round Rock, TX	440	0.41	2.71	$27.57	$57,340
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	370	0.08	0.53	$27.92	$58,060
Baton Rouge, LA	370	0.93	6.19	$29.75	$61,890
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	360	0.04	0.25	$41.26	$85,810
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	340	0.14	0.90	$40.24	$83,700
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	290	0.09	0.63	$25.58	$53,200
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	280	0.10	0.65	$26.82	$55,780

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	670	4.04	26.91	$35.01	$72,820
Olympia-Tumwater, WA	260	2.29	15.25	$31.66	$65,850
Jackson, MS	520	1.96	13.03	$25.93	$53,920
Corvallis, OR	60	1.55	10.29	$44.68	$92,940
Anchorage, AK	230	1.34	8.92	$34.45	$71,650
Bend-Redmond, OR	100	1.22	8.14	$29.19	$60,710
Missoula, MT	70	1.20	7.99	$37.18	$77,340
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	50	1.06	7.03	$28.01	$58,260
Baton Rouge, LA	370	0.93	6.19	$29.75	$61,890
Wenatchee, WA	40	0.82	5.46	$31.99	$66,530