Ecologist vs conservationist

The differences between ecologists and conservationists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an ecologist, becoming a conservationist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an ecologist has an average salary of $50,369, which is higher than the $49,329 average annual salary of a conservationist.

The top three skills for an ecologist include data collection, GPS and GIS. The most important skills for a conservationist are natural resources, USDA, and wildlife habitat.

Ecologist vs conservationist overview

	Ecologist	Conservationist
Yearly salary	$50,369	$49,329
Hourly rate	$24.22	$23.72
Growth rate	1%	5%
Number of jobs	7,026	166
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	40	42
Years of experience	2	4

Ecologist vs conservationist salary

Ecologists and conservationists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Ecologist	Conservationist
Average salary	$50,369	$49,329
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $76,000	Between $27,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	Fresno, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Volkert	-
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between ecologist and conservationist education

There are a few differences between an ecologist and a conservationist in terms of educational background:

	Ecologist	Conservationist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Biology	Environmental Science
Most common college	University of California - Davis	-

Ecologist vs conservationist demographics

Here are the differences between ecologists' and conservationists' demographics:

	Ecologist	Conservationist
Average age	40	42
Gender ratio	Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5%	Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 0.4% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between ecologist and conservationist duties and responsibilities

Ecologist example responsibilities.

Create and manage multidisciplinary, interagency research teams.
Perform surveys for target species including vascular and non-vascular plants, fungi, and lichens using BLM and USFS protocols.
Issue gas and oil drilling permits on BLM land.
Record and monitor nest locations using a marker system and GPS.
Navigate through surrounding desert and massive mountain ranges using GPS and aerial topographic maps.
Help with park events and or activities, occasionally put on patrol for the park

Conservationist example responsibilities.

Manage native grass to improve wildlife habitat and reduce woody encroachment.
Create folders for programs such as EQIP, CRP, CSP, and AWEP.
Help with CRP and EQIP contracts and FSA compliance reviews.
Utilize Arcmap to prepare soil and planning maps for CSP applications.
Utilize USDA engineer practices to assist individuals in applying natural resource protection on their lands.
Use of various surveying tools, GPS, snow sampling equipment, soil sampling equipment.

Ecologist vs conservationist skills

Common ecologist skills

Data Collection, 10%
GPS, 10%
GIS, 6%
Technical Reports, 6%
Data Management, 5%
Data Entry, 5%

Common conservationist skills

Natural Resources, 13%
USDA, 12%
Wildlife Habitat, 9%
Water Quality, 9%
Conservation Programs, 6%
Trail Maintenance, 6%

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Ecologist vs Conservationist

Updated January 8, 2025

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