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Best states for a natural resource officer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for natural resource officers in the United States. Natural resource officer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for natural resource officers.Our research found that Rhode Island is the best state for natural resource officers, while Delaware and Connecticut are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Rhode Island has a median salary of $58,645 and Delaware has the highest median salary among all 50 states for natural resource officers.
The median salary for natural resource officers in Rhode Island is $58,645. Compare that to the median salary in Texas of $43,258, which ranked worst for natural resource officers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Rhode Island is the best state for natural resource officer jobs, whereas Texas is the worst.
10 best states for natural resource officers in 2025
1. Rhode Island
Total natural resource officer jobs: 162 Average annual salary: $58,645 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
2. Nevada
Total natural resource officer jobs: 351 Average annual salary: $56,908 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.79
3. Vermont
Total natural resource officer jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $58,467 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
4. New Hampshire
Total natural resource officer jobs: 181 Average annual salary: $58,527 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
5. South Dakota
Total natural resource officer jobs: 123 Average annual salary: $55,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
6. North Dakota
Total natural resource officer jobs: 126 Average annual salary: $53,969 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
7. West Virginia
Total natural resource officer jobs: 181 Average annual salary: $53,277 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
8. Connecticut
Total natural resource officer jobs: 353 Average annual salary: $58,853 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
9. Idaho
Total natural resource officer jobs: 331 Average annual salary: $53,628 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 2.15
10. Maine
Total natural resource officer jobs: 166 Average annual salary: $54,051 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
Natural resource officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a natural resource officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a natural resource officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $58,645 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 162 |
| 2 | Nevada | $56,908 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 351 |
| 3 | Vermont | $58,467 | $49,000 | 623,657 | 109 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $58,527 | $48,000 | 1,342,795 | 181 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $55,077 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 123 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $53,969 | $47,000 | 755,393 | 126 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $53,277 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 181 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $58,853 | $46,000 | 3,588,184 | 353 |
| 9 | Idaho | $53,628 | $45,000 | 1,716,943 | 331 |
| 10 | Maine | $54,051 | $45,000 | 1,335,907 | 166 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $53,695 | $45,000 | 5,795,483 | 605 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $53,089 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 256 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $55,727 | $45,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,002 |
| 14 | Ohio | $54,970 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 903 |
| 15 | Virginia | $53,717 | $40,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,380 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $54,533 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,126 |
| 17 | Arizona | $51,869 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 901 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $53,826 | $46,000 | 5,576,606 | 773 |
| 19 | Delaware | $58,917 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 23 |
| 20 | Maryland | $55,812 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 744 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $50,144 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 294 |
| 22 | Alabama | $50,202 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 522 |
| 23 | Montana | $55,305 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 45 |
| 24 | Washington | $54,319 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 790 |
| 25 | Indiana | $53,117 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 625 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $52,489 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 353 |
| 27 | Colorado | $52,657 | $44,000 | 5,607,154 | 798 |
| 28 | Oregon | $54,152 | $45,000 | 4,142,776 | 421 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $52,062 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 459 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $53,217 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 35 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $51,905 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 946 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $58,533 | $44,000 | 693,972 | 105 |
| 33 | Missouri | $52,559 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 572 |
| 34 | Alaska | $54,723 | $49,000 | 739,795 | 56 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $50,519 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 310 |
| 36 | Utah | $52,927 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 73 |
| 37 | California | $52,958 | $40,000 | 39,536,653 | 712 |
| 38 | Iowa | $46,009 | $39,000 | 3,145,711 | 415 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $44,441 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 240 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $44,391 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 291 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,582 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,280 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $47,148 | $36,000 | 9,005,644 | 869 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $44,586 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 351 |
| 44 | Illinois | $46,167 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,300 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $44,640 | $35,000 | 6,715,984 | 600 |
| 46 | Michigan | $46,527 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 687 |
| 47 | New York | $47,154 | $36,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,402 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $51,036 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 40 |
| 49 | Florida | $47,397 | $34,000 | 20,984,400 | 258 |
| 50 | Kansas | $45,316 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 278 |
| 51 | Texas | $43,258 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,865 |
Highest paying states for natural resource officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Natural Resource Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $58,645 |
| 2 | Nevada | $56,908 |
| 3 | Vermont | $58,467 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $58,527 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $55,077 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $53,969 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $53,277 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $58,853 |
| 9 | Idaho | $53,628 |
| 10 | Maine | $54,051 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $53,695 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $53,089 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $55,727 |
| 14 | Ohio | $54,970 |
| 15 | Virginia | $53,717 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $54,533 |
| 17 | Arizona | $51,869 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $53,826 |
| 19 | Delaware | $58,917 |
| 20 | Maryland | $55,812 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $50,144 |
| 22 | Alabama | $50,202 |
| 23 | Montana | $55,305 |
| 24 | Washington | $54,319 |
| 25 | Indiana | $53,117 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $52,489 |
| 27 | Colorado | $52,657 |
| 28 | Oregon | $54,152 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $52,062 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $53,217 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $51,905 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $58,533 |
| 33 | Missouri | $52,559 |
| 34 | Alaska | $54,723 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $50,519 |
| 36 | Utah | $52,927 |
| 37 | California | $52,958 |
| 38 | Iowa | $46,009 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $44,441 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $44,391 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,582 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $47,148 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $44,586 |
| 44 | Illinois | $46,167 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $44,640 |
| 46 | Michigan | $46,527 |
| 47 | New York | $47,154 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $51,036 |
| 49 | Florida | $47,397 |
| 50 | Kansas | $45,316 |
| 51 | Texas | $43,258 |
Natural resource officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025