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Natural Resource Management

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 03.0201- 03.0299.

Types of Degrees Natural Resource Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Natural Resource Management can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	56
Associate’s Degree	183
Bachelor’s Degree	1,379
Master’s Degree	1,439
Doctor’s Degree	18

What Natural Resource Management Majors Need to Know

Programs in Natural Resource Management develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Natural Resource Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Natural Resource Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Natural Resource Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Natural Resource Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Resource Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Resource Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Resource Management graduates include:

• Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• University Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Compliance Coordinator
• Compliance Analyst
• Regulatory Compliance Specialist
• Forestry Faculty Member
• Range Instructor
• Forest Explorers Instructor
• Timber Management Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Natural Resource Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.7%
Doctoral degree	13.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	11.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.3%
Master’s degree	7.5%
Some college courses	6.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.7%
Post-doctoral training	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%
First professional degree	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Resource Management?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 53.9% women and 46.1% men among Natural Resource Management graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,664	53.9%
Men	1,426	46.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Natural Resource Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,207	71.4%
Asian	69	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	265	8.6%
Black or African American	83	2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	136	4.4%
Race Unknown	98	3.2%
International Students	207	6.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Resource Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Natural Resource Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,496
4 years	$52,434
5 years	$59,221

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,221 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Natural Resource Management Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Natural Resource Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	1
Bachelor’s	9	3
Master’s	9	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Natural Resource Management Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Natural Resource Management graduates earn a median of $52,434 four years after completion — roughly 38% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Natural Resources Conservation	32,361
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	23,853
Forestry	2,460
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management	2,419
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management	407
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other	132
NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.