Natural Resources Conservation

Types of Degrees Natural Resources Conservation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many natural resources conservation graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,136
Doctor’s Degree	410
Graduate Certificate	178

What Natural Resources Conservation Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, conservation majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Conservation Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in conservation should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Conservation Majors

When studying conservation, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Conservation Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a conservation student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Natural Resources Conservation Major?

People with a conservation degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Climate Change Analysts	11.1%	$71,130
Environmental Restoration Planners	11.1%	$71,130
Environmental Science Professors	10.1%	$79,910
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	11.1%	$71,130
Foresters	4.9%	$61,410
Forestry & Conservation Science Professors	4.5%	$86,900
Industrial Ecologists	11.1%	$71,130
Park Naturalists	6.3%	$61,310
Range Managers	6.3%	$61,310
Soil and Water Conservationists	6.3%	$61,310

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources Conservation?

The major attracts more women than men. About 61% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of conservation majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	133
Black or African American	81
Hispanic or Latino	228
White	1,940
International Students	532
Other Races/Ethnicities	222

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Conservation. About 17.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• Canada
• Nepal

How Much Do Natural Resources Conservation Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of natural resources conservation students with a master’s degree is $49,395 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $43,809 (25th percentile) and $56,086 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a conservation degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Conservation majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $65,320 to $91,330 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Natural Resources Conservation

Some careers associated with conservation require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to conservation have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.0%
Some College Courses	1.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	37.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.7%
Master’s Degree	23.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.0%
Doctoral Degree	20.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	10.1%

Online Natural Resources Conservation Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,048 schools offered some type of natural resources conservation program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	34	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	239	7
Bachelor’s Degree	58	13
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	267	20
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	98	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Natural Resources Conservation Worth It?

The median salary for a conservation grad is $77,580 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 94% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $753,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Natural Resources Conservation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to conservation.

Major	Number of Grads
Natural Resource Management	1,073
Forestry	486
Wildlife Management	323
Fisheries Sciences	106
Natural Resources Conservation (Other)	32

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Lynn Betts under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.