How to hire a natural resource officer

How to hire a natural resource officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step natural resource officer hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The natural resource officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A natural resource officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, natural resource officers 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 natural resource officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Natural Resource Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Natural Resource Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$16-33
   Officer	An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises... Show more	$12-49
   Police Officer	Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law... Show more	$18-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Public Safety
   • Emergency Situations
   • Criminal Justice
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Federal Laws
   • Motor Vehicle
   • Traffic Laws
   • Criminal Investigations
   • Incident Reports
   • Traffic Accidents
   • School Administration
   • Domestic Violence
   • Role Model

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
   • Collect, count, and report hunter harvest numbers of game species.
   • Used GPS equipment in mapping and monitoring noxious weed areas for future management.
   • Use map reading, aerial photography interpretation, GPS, and orienteering skills daily.
   • Create and maintain various maps in GIS software in order to maintain coyote reports and trail and park maps.
   • General patrol assignments, responsible for filling departmental directives and general orders.

   More natural resource officer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, natural resource officers' average salary in texas is 27% less than in delaware.
   • Seniority. Entry-level natural resource officers 49% less than senior-level natural resource officers.
   • Certifications. A natural resource officer 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 natural resource officer's salary.

   Average natural resource officer salary

   $49,637yearly

   $23.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level natural resource officer salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average natural resource officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$55,785	$27
   2	Ohio	$55,361	$27
   3	Virginia	$54,256	$26
   4	Washington	$54,224	$26
   5	California	$53,705	$26
   6	West Virginia	$53,048	$26
   7	Colorado	$52,645	$25
   8	Missouri	$52,640	$25
   9	North Carolina	$51,569	$25
   10	Florida	$46,606	$22
   11	Georgia	$43,753	$21

   Average natural resource officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Frederick County	$53,849	$25.89	2
   2	Barnstable, Massachusetts	$53,615	$25.78
   3	Homeland Security	$53,299	$25.62
   4	Brandon Hall School	$52,981	$25.47
   5	Proviso Township Schools	$52,340	$25.16
   6	Academy for Classical Education	$49,065	$23.59
   7	Douglas County Sheriff's Office	$48,788	$23.46
   8	Toledo Public Schools	$48,120	$23.13	1
   9	Kindred Healthcare	$46,623	$22.41	4
   10	Town of Davie, FL	$44,334	$21.31	3
   11	State of West Virginia	$44,090	$21.20	43
   12	Avon Community School	$43,857	$21.09	2
   13	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$39,316	$18.90	53
   14	Securitas AB	$38,497	$18.51	1,308
   15	State of Ohio	$38,136	$18.33	52
   16	Conservation International	$37,952	$18.25
   17	Allied Universal	$37,714	$18.13

4. Writing a natural resource officer job description

   A job description for a natural resource officer 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 natural resource officer job description:

   Natural resource officer job description example

   School Resource Officer
   
   School Resource Officer Duties and Responsibilities for Grady County Schools.
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   Two years of law enforcement experience.
   
   Officers will:
   
   * Be able to attend and pass the School Resource Officer Certification class
   * Wear an approved Uniform while regular school day is in session, except on any day the School Administration approves.
   * Report to the assigned school campus according to the hours of duty directed by the Superintendent and Principal at the school.
   * Document activities on and off assigned campus and maintain a monthly activity report to be turned to the police department (PD) Chief by the 5th of each month. Keep current on a weekly basis with activity documentation.
   * Attend after school home functions such as athletic events, dances, pep rallies, and graduation exercises as requested by the Principal, Superintendent or Chief of Police. Exceptions can be made, if approved in advance, by the School or System administration.
   * Attend away games with the team if requested by School Administrator. Exceptions can be made if other arrangements are made and approved by School Administrator.
   * Make all reports (incident, accident, etc…) available to the Chief ASAP.
   * If sick, notify Chief and School Administrator no later than 7:00 a.m..
   * Notify the School Administrator upon leaving the school campus for any reason.
   * Supervise traffic at the beginning and end of each school day to ensure the safety of all the students.
   * Patrol the parking lots ensuring student's safety into the school upon arrival in the morning and upon leaving the campus in the afternoon, to deter reckless driving, and to make sure only active students enter the campus.
   * Improve the schools perception as a safe learning environment and deter misconduct by remaining highly visible in the halls, cafeteria, and gymnasium.
   * Serve as a role model to students, especially in terms of appropriate attitudes and respect.
   * Counsel students daily, either one-on-one or as a group on all school and non-school safety topics to include drug abuse prevention education.
   * Assist the school administration with anyone who is causing a disruption, truancy issues, and any criminal activities occurring on campus.
   * Perform ongoing security checks of the campus and make recommendations to the School Administrator.
   * Attend parent and faculty meetings when requested by the School Administrator.
   * Attend conferences with students, parents, faculty members and the Superintendent of Schools when necessary to assist them with law enforcement issues and or crime prevention.
   * Prepare for and give presentations at faculty in-service meetings, parent education evenings, PTO meetings, and community organizations.
   * Function as an information-gathering source for Law Enforcement and Juvenile Officials.
   * Assist the School Administrator in developing and implementing plans and strategies to prevent and handle dangerous situations.
   * Assist the School Administrator in formulating and practicing a school safety plan.
   * Perform a school safety survey within the first month of each school year and again mid-year.
   * Attend monthly meetings with other SRO's and School Officials to exchange information and ideas.
   * Serve as a liaison between the Police Department, School personnel, and parents, and/or Sheriff Office.
   * Conduct classroom activities/presentations involving a wide range of topics, including security, crime prevention, drug/alcohol education, and other related issues as approved by the School Administrator.
   * Coordinate all activities with the Police Department and School Administrators and seek their advice, and guidance prior to enacting any program within the school.
   * Be familiar with all community agencies, which offer assistance to youths and their families, such as mental health clinics, drug treatment centers, and juvenile authorities, and make referrals to such agencies when necessary.
   * Adhere to the Grady County School Board and Grady County Schools law enforcement agency policies at all time.
   * Keep names of students and actions taken by school administration in the strictest of confidence.
   * Meet Principal or designee during the night when school alarm goes off.
   * Attend monthly Board of Education meetings as scheduled.
   * Chain of Command should be followed by the law enforcement agencies and school districts to create a positive flow of information.
   * SRO should follow law enforcement policies and procedures while working with school districts policies and procedures. This may not be easy, but both entities need to be considered for the best interest of the school, staff and students.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right natural resource officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with natural resource officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit natural resource officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit natural resource officers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 natural resource officer

   Once you've decided on a perfect natural resource officer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new natural resource officer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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.)

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