How to hire a conservation technician

How to hire a conservation technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step conservation technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a conservation technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new conservation technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a conservation technician do?

Post a conservation technician job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a conservation technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A conservation technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, conservation technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents conservation technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Conservation Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Conservation Technician		$13-22
   Fire Management Officer	A fire management officer ensures regular safe housekeeping and inspections take place. They ensure fire safety audits take place and appropriate actions get implemented... Show more	$23-58
   Natural Resource Technician	A natural resource technician assists other environmental specialists in collecting and compiling environmental data and in using that information to assess how natural resources are impacted by bioenergy. A natural resource technician is typically supervised by a senior natural resource specialist... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GRASS
   • Natural Resources
   • Data Entry
   • Hand Tools
   • Cost-Share
   • GPS
   • Wildlife Habitat
   • GIS
   • Conservation Programs
   • Technical Assistance
   • USDA
   • Food Plots
   • Trail Maintenance
   • Mowing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead crews to achieve goals of closing and reclaiming illegal ATV trails.
   • Manage native grass to improve wildlife habitat and reduce woody encroachment.
   • Survey back-country old-growth timber, fight forest fires, manage brush, and replant forests after harvest.
   • Develop and conduct shoreline and wetland vegetation assessment methods utilizing GPS.
   • Used GIS to develop a winter sign plan.
   • Upload survey points collect with the engineer to AutoCAD.

   More conservation technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your conservation technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A conservation technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, conservation technicians' average salary in south carolina is 41% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level conservation technicians 39% less than senior-level conservation technicians.
   • Certifications. A conservation technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a conservation technician's salary.

   Average conservation technician salary

   $35,950yearly

   $17.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level conservation technician salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average conservation technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Delaware	$38,074	$18
   2	Arizona	$36,775	$18
   3	Ohio	$35,723	$17
   4	Montana	$35,571	$17
   5	North Carolina	$35,321	$17
   6	Nebraska	$34,732	$17
   7	Texas	$34,390	$17
   8	Illinois	$30,530	$15
   9	Florida	$30,258	$15

   Average conservation technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Delaware State Government	$38,561	$18.54	3
   2	Peraton	$38,447	$18.48
   3	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$37,381	$17.97	5
   4	Vencore	$37,080	$17.83
   5	City of Bozeman	$36,929	$17.75
   6	Great Parks of Hamilton County	$35,995	$17.31
   7	Colonial Williamsburg Foundation	$34,766	$16.71	2
   8	State Of South Dakota	$34,293	$16.49
   9	Phoenix Zoo	$33,523	$16.12
   10	NC.gov	$33,399	$16.06

4. Writing a conservation technician job description

   A job description for a conservation technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a conservation technician job description:

   Conservation technician job description example

   RES is the nation's largest and most experienced provider of ecological restoration and water resource solutions. To date, we have restored over 328 stream miles, 58,024 wetland acres, and rehabilitated, preserved, and/or managed over 15,000 acres of special-status species habitats. RES operations include planting over 17,400,000 restorative trees and reducing over 267 tons of polluting nutrients. RES navigates and streamlines the environmental permitting process with solutions that balance economic development and ecological sustainability through the establishment of mitigation/conservation banks, permittee responsible turnkey mitigation, and corporate social responsibility projects.
   
   The primary function of the Restoration Technician is to complete ecological restoration work in the field. This includes all aspects of restoration work such as planting, seeding, erosion control methods, brush cutting, prescribed burns, light equipment operation, herbicide application to control invasive species, and various other tasks.
   What your day-to-day might look like? Prepare soil for planting seeds, trees, and plant plugs by the following methods: Apply herbicide to areas for planting/seeding; Scarification of soil by hand or with tractor; and mowing tall vegetation. Sow native plant seed install native plant plugs, trees and shrubs according to instructions and planned design of landscaped area. Implements erosion control methods such as, but not limited to: Straw mulching; Erosion blanket; Silt fencing. Cut, stack and chip or burn trees and brush. Operate company equipment (Tractors, ATVs, skid-steers, chainsaws, brush saws, etc.). Perform maintenance and field repairs on equipment. At times, direct temporary labor from an outside third party. Complete project and administrative paperwork in a timely manner. Communicate status of projects to supervisors and project managers. Water seeded areas, trees, and plants. Trail construction. Maintain natural areas by: Hand pulling weed species; Spot herbicide weed species; Mowing; and Prescribed burning. Cross train with Nursery with daily operations as needed, including: Seed Collection and Seed Cleaning etc. Qualifications
   Required:
   High School degree or equivalent 1 or more years working in naturtal resources field operations Solid understanding of basic ecological restoration techniques. Willingness to work in all weather conditions to conduct ecological restoration. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Valid driver's license Pesticide License within 30 days of hire (in relevant state(s) and categories) Ability to travel from home location up to 75% of the time Ability to attain Federal Medical Card for DOT driving is preferred but not required for position
   Physical Requirements:
   
   The working conditions and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   Willing and able to perform and comply with the following items:
   Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; talk and hear. Regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Frequent exposure to outside weather conditions. Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. Occasional exposure to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, extreme heat, and vibration. Frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and moving mechanical parts. The employee is expected to be able to conduct field work that may require walking up or down steep grades or on uneven ground, operating in inclement, not dangerous, weather conditions, exposure to direct sun and other weather, and may be in areas occupied by wild or domestic animals. Exposure to thorny or poisonous plant materials is not uncommon in the field. The employee may be requested to wade or participate in work conducted on open water. VEVRAA Federal Contractor
   
   RES is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right conservation technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your conservation technician job on Zippia to find and recruit conservation technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit conservation technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new conservation technician

   Once you've found the conservation technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a conservation technician?