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Best states for a natural resource specialist
Quoted expert
Dr. Steven Christenson Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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- 41 - 51
It seems like natural resource specialists are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for natural resource specialists aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Although there are abundant natural resource specialist jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. District of Columbia is the best state in the country for natural resource specialist jobs.
In order to get you the best states for natural resource specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for natural resource specialist jobs, whereas South Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for natural resource specialists in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 177 Average annual salary: $112,712 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
2. West Virginia
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $79,786 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
3. Connecticut
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 244 Average annual salary: $84,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
4. Nevada
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 208 Average annual salary: $75,600 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
5. Delaware
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $77,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
6. Massachusetts
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 523 Average annual salary: $87,632 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
7. New Hampshire
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $79,322 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
8. California
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 1,691 Average annual salary: $91,530 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. Rhode Island
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 83 Average annual salary: $74,861 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. Virginia
Total natural resource specialist jobs: 649 Average annual salary: $77,394 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
Natural resource specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a natural resource specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a natural resource specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $112,712 | $73,000 | 693,972 | 177 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $79,786 | $51,000 | 1,815,857 | 130 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $84,513 | $55,000 | 3,588,184 | 244 |
| 4 | Nevada | $75,600 | $48,000 | 2,998,039 | 208 |
| 5 | Delaware | $77,986 | $50,000 | 961,939 | 88 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $87,632 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 523 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $79,322 | $52,000 | 1,342,795 | 105 |
| 8 | California | $91,530 | $57,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,691 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $74,861 | $49,000 | 1,059,639 | 83 |
| 10 | Virginia | $77,394 | $49,000 | 8,470,020 | 649 |
| 11 | New York | $82,640 | $53,000 | 19,849,399 | 767 |
| 12 | Illinois | $80,021 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 679 |
| 13 | Maryland | $78,556 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 408 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $67,907 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 232 |
| 15 | Colorado | $77,145 | $52,000 | 5,607,154 | 360 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $66,878 | $43,000 | 10,273,419 | 701 |
| 17 | Michigan | $70,571 | $46,000 | 9,962,311 | 459 |
| 18 | Ohio | $71,297 | $46,000 | 11,658,609 | 578 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $66,829 | $43,000 | 6,715,984 | 383 |
| 20 | Oregon | $67,749 | $45,000 | 4,142,776 | 291 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $67,572 | $42,000 | 4,684,333 | 209 |
| 22 | Georgia | $67,525 | $43,000 | 10,429,379 | 628 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $62,337 | $39,000 | 2,088,070 | 165 |
| 24 | Maine | $61,044 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 132 |
| 25 | Idaho | $62,628 | $42,000 | 1,716,943 | 119 |
| 26 | Indiana | $65,948 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 394 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $64,800 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 757 |
| 28 | Kansas | $62,841 | $42,000 | 2,913,123 | 206 |
| 29 | Montana | $60,299 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 114 |
| 30 | Vermont | $60,846 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 80 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,479 | $46,000 | 5,576,606 | 387 |
| 32 | Arizona | $60,552 | $38,000 | 7,016,270 | 448 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $57,571 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 99 |
| 34 | Washington | $64,234 | $44,000 | 7,405,743 | 475 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $69,311 | $44,000 | 9,005,644 | 387 |
| 36 | Texas | $61,487 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,251 |
| 37 | Alaska | $53,079 | $42,000 | 739,795 | 116 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $58,417 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 141 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $56,443 | $37,000 | 3,004,279 | 185 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $51,187 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 92 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $50,925 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 107 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $50,810 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 199 |
| 43 | Utah | $57,149 | $37,000 | 3,101,833 | 203 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $50,683 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 88 |
| 45 | Alabama | $55,554 | $35,000 | 4,874,747 | 265 |
| 46 | Iowa | $49,546 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 320 |
| 47 | Florida | $49,433 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,196 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $53,189 | $35,000 | 4,454,189 | 234 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $55,926 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 318 |
| 50 | Missouri | $54,307 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 341 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $53,700 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 249 |
Highest paying states for natural resource specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Natural Resource Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $112,712 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $79,786 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $84,513 |
| 4 | Nevada | $75,600 |
| 5 | Delaware | $77,986 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $87,632 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $79,322 |
| 8 | California | $91,530 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $74,861 |
| 10 | Virginia | $77,394 |
| 11 | New York | $82,640 |
| 12 | Illinois | $80,021 |
| 13 | Maryland | $78,556 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $67,907 |
| 15 | Colorado | $77,145 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $66,878 |
| 17 | Michigan | $70,571 |
| 18 | Ohio | $71,297 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $66,829 |
| 20 | Oregon | $67,749 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $67,572 |
| 22 | Georgia | $67,525 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $62,337 |
| 24 | Maine | $61,044 |
| 25 | Idaho | $62,628 |
| 26 | Indiana | $65,948 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $64,800 |
| 28 | Kansas | $62,841 |
| 29 | Montana | $60,299 |
| 30 | Vermont | $60,846 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,479 |
| 32 | Arizona | $60,552 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $57,571 |
| 34 | Washington | $64,234 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $69,311 |
| 36 | Texas | $61,487 |
| 37 | Alaska | $53,079 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $58,417 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $56,443 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $51,187 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $50,925 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $50,810 |
| 43 | Utah | $57,149 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $50,683 |
| 45 | Alabama | $55,554 |
| 46 | Iowa | $49,546 |
| 47 | Florida | $49,433 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $53,189 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $55,926 |
| 50 | Missouri | $54,307 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $53,700 |
Expert opinions on the best states for natural resource specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for natural resource specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Steven Christenson Ph.D.
Chair, Brigham Young University-Idaho
I think one thing the pandemic has done has shed light on the need for rapid and accurate laboratory testing. It is not unlikely that COVID alone will increase demand for laboratory testing and thus require the hiring of more Medical Lab Scientists. This increase will likely be present across the country. So I think that everywhere will be a good place to find work opportunities. This field already enjoyed high worker demand and double-digit job growth outlook even before the pandemic. I suspect it will only be stronger now.
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Updated January 8, 2025