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Job outlook for natural resource specialists in the United States
Are natural resource specialist jobs in demand?
Natural resource specialist job and salary trends over time
Natural resource specialist jobs over time
Natural resource specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,362 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,699 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,685 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,519 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,582 | 0.00% |
Average natural resource specialist salary over time
Natural resource specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,446 | $32.91 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $66,698 | $32.07 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $66,483 | $31.96 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $64,866 | $31.19 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $64,408 | $30.97 | +2.1% |
Natural resource specialist jobs by state
Most common states for natural resource specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 177 | 26% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 116 | 16% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 92 | 16% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 107 | 14% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 80 | 13% |
| 6 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 114 | 11% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 320 | 10% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 199 | 10% |
| 9 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 132 | 10% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 88 | 10% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 88 | 9% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 649 | 8% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 523 | 8% |
| 14 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 165 | 8% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 105 | 8% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 83 | 8% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 408 | 7% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 244 | 7% |
| 19 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 208 | 7% |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 130 | 7% |
Most common cities for natural resource specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alton | 1 | 4% | $77,201 |
| 2 | Fairbanks | 1 | 3% | $53,255 |
| 3 | Odenton | 1 | 3% | $78,692 |
| 4 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $50,357 |
| 5 | Littleton | 1 | 2% | $77,140 |
| 6 | Folsom | 1 | 1% | $95,323 |
| 7 | San Mateo | 1 | 1% | $96,462 |
Natural Resource Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of natural resource specialist experts
University of Northern Iowa
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Northwestern University
Kansas State University
Michigan State University
Lake Superior State University
Florida International University
North Carolina State University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Coastal Carolina University
University of Rhode Island
Hawaii Pacific University
Stockton University
Macalester College
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Dr. Lincoln Larson Ph.D.: The most important skills in natural resource management are communication skills (both speaking and writing), and that's unlikely to change at any point in the future. There's a common misunderstanding that natural resource management professions don't involve people, but humans are both the cause and the solution to every natural resource management challenge we face today - from climate change to human-wildlife conflict. If you can't effectively communicate with diverse audiences including scientists, practitioners, policy-makers, and the general public, you will struggle. Honing those communication skills earlier and often is the key to a successful career. Another skill that is increasingly important is data management and analysis, especially GIS and spatial data.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Lincoln Larson Ph.D.: Natural resource management is an applied field, so gaining real-world experience is critical. Try out a few temporary jobs or internships to get a better sense of what you enjoy doing. Whether it's field work, analysis and reporting, outreach and engagement, or something else, you might not discover your strengths and preferences until you get your feet wet or get your boots muddy. Be flexible. Your dream job is unlikely to emerge right away, but gaining experience in a variety of places/contexts and building a professional network of connections will ultimately help you find it. Embrace the unexpected, as that's one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of working outdoors.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Amy Welsh Ph.D.: I think people like the freedom that the job enables. Many biologists have flexibility with scheduling. In addition, when they are at work they are doing something that really interests them anyway. Wildlife professionals aren't paid as much as some other professions so that would be a negative but there are trade offs that are rewarding.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Amy Welsh Ph.D.: Depends on the specific job and the specific day. There are species project leaders (in fish, game, or conservation) that have specific research projects that require field work but also inside data analysis and writing. Most of these people have a M.S. degree. Someone entering the field with a B.S. typically does more outside work. This would depend on their specific job but may be data collection, taking care of wildlife management areas, etc.
Alison Hamilton
Assistant Teaching ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Alison Hamilton: (As an aside----You do realize that you have asked this question of an academic biologist, right? Someone who spent way too much time in school earning way too many degrees and living on very little money until finally getting a “real” job after 16 years of post-graduate training and education……and still makes less than some of my students do when they graduate…..:) This is clearly something that I know NOTHING about😊)
Again, I think that having some experience will help. If you worked in the industry for 6 months while working on your degree you may be able to start at a higher salary than someone with no previous experience. The same may well be true for having in-demand coding or data analysis skills or even for experience with developing professional looking presentations, websites, or podcasts. Expertise and experience could result in a better offer and they will certainly increase interest in your resume.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alison Hamilton: The co-op advisers at UML work with lots of different employers in this area and they have told me that in addition to laboratory skills (which all of our biology majors have lots of exposure to) they are looking for students with strong written and oral communication skills. Other skills in demand are critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills. Given the innovations and new technologies in scientific fields, expertise in a particular technique or methodology may become less essential or be learned on the job, yet strong communication skills and expertise in data analysis will remain sought after by employers across the biological sciences.
Getting hands on experience and exposure to research is a great way to discover what you love, make your resume stand out and build professional relationships and networks that can help you secure a job when you graduate. I know that many of the students in Biological Sciences at UML who participated in a co-op with a local employer went on to work for that company after graduation.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Alison Hamilton: Be sure to emphasize your strengths—even if they might not seem directly applicable to a position you are interested in. Your resume should include techniques, skills, and approaches with which you have experience, but think about other things you have accomplished, whether paid or volunteer. You don’t know when your language skills, fundraising experience, public speaking, partnership with a local community non-profit, or teenage years helping with the family fishing or farming business may matter. Biology is such a diverse discipline and new career pathways using the skills and education inherent in a biology degree are evolving all the time.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Theresa Spradling: All of the jobs that biologists do help other people, and that brings biologists personal satisfaction with their job.
Scott Henke PhD
Regents ProfessorTexas A&M University - Kingsville
Wildlife And Wildlands Science And Management
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Scott Henke PhD: Be an active listener. Often new graduates what to show their knowledge, but being too eager to demonstrate what you know can be misunderstood as an attempt into being superior. If you are a new biologist in the area, research what issues face the citizens of the area first so you become aware of what may be needed. Then arrange a meeting with the key people or local groups and ask questions as to what they believe are their most important questions and concerns. During this meeting, only listen. Do not offer suggestions unless specifically asked to do so. Often people want to be heard so actively listen to their concerns. Get to know the locals as individuals. They will be more receptive to you as the ‘new’ person, if they feel respected by you first.
Also learn the local customs. People from different areas other than from where you grew up may do things differently. Don’t be judgmental as how things are done in the new area. Different is not necessarily wrong, its just a different way from what you may be accustomed to doing.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Scott Henke PhD: This answer will age me, but I think today’s generation relies too heavily on technology. Old school ‘hands-on’ training is becoming a lost art. New students, for the most part, seem to have spent little time outdoors and do not seem capable of recognizing animal signs (i.e. tracks, scat, feather, scraps, dens, fur, etc.). I think some of these “lost art” skills will be needed, and up-and-coming students who have such skills will be sought by agencies.
People skills will always be needed. Most kids get into wildlife management because they desire to work with animals, but quickly find out that much of wildlife jobs entail dealing with people. Being able to converse with kids to adults, from lay people to businessmen to scientists is always useful Get as much experience with people as you can. It will pay off. As a student, volunteer to give presentations to school classes, to Rotary Clubs, to Garden Clubs, and give scientific presentations at science-based conferences.
Also, learn how to identify plants. Plants are often thought of as the boring part for wildlife students; however, plants are habitat. Much of wildlife management is habitat management. Do not lessen the importance of this skill.
Dr. Paul Caradonna PhD
Conservation Scientist (Associate Professor)Northwestern University
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, And Population Biology
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Dr. Paul Caradonna PhD: Experience goes a long way. I am speaking from the perspective of ecology, evolution, and conservation. Having demonstrated experience in the field actually doing hands-on ecology and conservation is important. It is also good to demonstrate that you have a range of skills, such as: working in the field, data analysis, science writing, creative and clever problem solving. Work in this area is dynamic and challenging—those that can demonstrate that this is what gets them excited and that they have the skills to succeed in such an environment is essential.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Nathan Hendricks: Look for a position that has opportunities for upward mobility.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nathan Hendricks: Data analytics and interdisciplinary training will become increasingly important. Decisions are increasingly being informed by data and natural resource management requires knowledge across a broad range of disciplines.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Nathan Hendricks: This field is constantly evolving, so keep looking for opportunities to learn and grow.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Justin Kunkle PhD: Forestry is a good profession to enter now due to the increasing focus on environmental conservation, sustainable resource management, and the growing demand for professionals who can manage forests effectively. There are also opportunities for innovation and technological advancements in the field.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Dr. Kevin Kapuscinski Ph.D.: Traditional fisheries skills such as setting and lifting nets, and collecting biological data from fish will continue to be important. Managing, analyzing, and interpreting data using spreadsheets and statistical software are also essential in fisheries. Other skills such as acoustic telemetry (deploying & maintaining receivers, implanting fish with transmitters), analyzing spatial data or other 'big data' sets, and laboratory skills (e.g., eDNA, water quality, emerging contaminants) are likely to increase in demand as technologies continue to develop.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Dr. Krishnaswamy Jayachandran: Suggestion to pursue advanced graduate education to keep up with the specialized areas such as GIS, Remote Sensing, Environmental Law, Sustainable Resources Management. Make use of the internship opportunities or volunteer opportunities will be helpful to maximize your monetary benefits such as salaries. Networking with professionals in this field and keeping track of salary trends in the area will be helpful to maximize earnings. Develop leadership skills, communication skills, be proactive in career advancement and professional developmental activities will increase your earning potential.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Krishnaswamy Jayachandran: Natural Resources Management is a broader field. Natural Resource Conservation Service is one of the largest agencies in the USDA providing career job opportunities. US Forest Service Agency is another one to explore career opportunities. There are few things I would suggest - gain experiential and experimental skills through internships, network with professionals in the field, increase knowledge through advanced graduate education, keep open minded to learning, focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship in your work.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Krishnaswamy Jayachandran: Climate change adaptation, Sustainable Practices, and ecosystem management skills will be critical. GIS, Remote Sensing, data analysis and interpretation of datasets are important in the future as technology advances day by day, the data driven decision making and the policies will play a major role in Natural Resources Management. I would suggest continuing to develop strong communication skills both written and verbal will be important to tell the stories in the form of Science Communication to stakeholders and a diverse group of audience.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer Slate PhD: There is currently a huge demand for workers in biology and other STEM professions. Healthcare workers are especially needed in nursing, medicine, and physical therapy. There is a shortage of teachers, particularly those who can teach biology or other sciences. The huge amount of biological data that is available, such as in genetics and environmental biology, means that scientists with analytical skills have great job opportunities.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Jennifer Slate PhD: There are so many different types of jobs in biology, to suit people of different interests. Biologists work in health care, in research labs, in environmental protection, and in teaching- just to name a few fields. Responsibilities on a day-to-day basis will depend upon the particular job field. Common skills required on a daily basis include use of computer software, ability to make and record detailed observations, and teamwork/communication skills.
Frederick Cubbage
ProfessorNorth Carolina State University
Environmental/Natural Resources Management And Policy
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Frederick Cubbage: We always have more people and more pressure on our scarce natural resources, and this creates threats of those resources losing their functions and values, or even being converted thoughtlessly to more developed uses, and innate benefits to humans and society.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Frederick Cubbage: People who either want to work outside and fulfill their passion for natural systems and environments and often are attracted to natural resources.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Frederick Cubbage: Natural resource graduates at the undergraduate or graduate level may perform jobs that range from intensive field work to a mix of management and field work to more human dimensions of natural resources.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Falk Huettmann: FH Many problems these days are complex in nature, and involve aspects of the living world. To be fluent on those aspects is essential and expertise is needed. A Biology degree can provide that skill set.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Falk Huettmann: FH Biology is a very big topic and a large discipline. Many biologists work on microbiological aspects. In my case our graduates often do biodiversity and species work, employing data, using geographic information system (GIS) mapping and modeling predictions using machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for environmental applications worldwide, e.g. climate change, impact and risk assessments. That's a big field for employment across the board.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Danielle Silvia: There are many emerging trends and changes in the natural world making biology a fascinating career to embark on. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of biology is predicted to see a 5% increase in job growth through 2032, as biologists are in high demand across areas such as healthcare, environmental science, sustainability, biotechnology, and more. Due to pressing issues like climate change, the disappearance of species and nature, public health crises, drug development, and genetic engineering, becoming a biologist today will provide career advancement tomorrow. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference in important areas of society while pursuing an intellectually stimulating career for the long-term.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Danielle Silvia: A day in the life of a biologist typically involves researching various forms of life, such as bacteria, animals, plants, how they impact the world around them, and vice versa. Biologists may run experiments to work towards answering these questions, using some of the latest and greatest scientific tools and techniques in a laboratory setting. The job scope also includes collecting and reviewing data from research and experiments, and creating reports based on findings to solve important problems. Biologists work at all levels on organisms from the molecular to the whole organism to populations.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Danielle Silvia: Working in the field of biology offers a variety of distinct occupations, and the likes and dislikes may vary from person to person. However, if you’re somebody who enjoys thinking analytically, asking big questions then testing them, and exploring natural environments, this career path may be the right fit for you.
Derek Crane Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCoastal Carolina University
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, And Population Biology
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Derek Crane Ph.D.: The great thing about biology is that it is an incredibly broad and diverse field that people with a variety of skill sets and interests can work in. Based on the field of biology someone is in, their day-to-day activities can vary from sampling and observing plants and animals, working in a lab processing samples, or analyzing data and communicating results (sometimes all within a single day for someone!). Entry-level biologists are typically involved in more of the hands-on work in the field or lab, collecting data, and as they gain experience they become more involved in the analytical and communication aspects of the job.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Derek Crane Ph.D.: Some of our greatest challenges as a global society, such as food security under a changing climate, predicting, preventing, and handling of future pandemics, and rapid loss of biodiversity are based in biology. We need smart, energetic, and motivated people to address these issues.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Charles Martin PhD: Marketable skills are critical for finding the right job. We offer several certifications in our MS degree that make our students’ resumes stand out in the crowd - including GIS training and quantitative skills. Prospective employees that can work with large datasets, analyze them, and communicate results always have a leg up on the competition. These skills will be imperative over the next 3-5 years and even beyond that.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brian Plouffe PhD: The biological sciences are an ever-evolving field, so graduates may be at the forefront of innovation in the fields of drug discovery and development, agriculture, and healthcare. With the new advances in genetic engineering and molecular biology, graduates will be involved in future advances that may change the work of medicine, food insecurity and sustainability, and climate control. The broad education of recent graduates will also give the foundation to find and keep a career in a wide variety of fields and industries.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Brian Plouffe PhD: People in the field of biological sciences see the impact of their work on society, which drives them in their career. Biologists are involved in many of the advances that are happening in medicine, agriculture, and climate change, so people in these fields have fulfillment in their careers. That being said, as the field is advancing and growing, the field is also becoming more complex and advanced degrees have become more commonplace in the field. The biological sciences have become a field that is starting to demand more from their scientists, and the pay has not followed suit with these demands. Additionally, many biologists put in long hours and this time at the lab, in the field, and at lectures and conferences all contribute to many biologists' lack of a personal life outside the discipline.
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Brenden Holland: For professional biologists starting out in this career, field-work often takes up a substantial portion of most days. As a field technician, staff will engage in a wide variety of important tasks, ranging from physical removal of invasive weeds and planting beneficial vegetation, use instrumentation to measure, document and monitor environmental parameters such as point source pollution in waterways, conducting surveys of the spread of invasive plants and animals, observing and documenting endangered species movement and behavior, and even assisting in field rescue of injured or stranded wildlife. In many cases these jobs will take place in beautiful natural reserves and areas of concern such as state and national parks. The job will often entail office and laboratory tasks as well, including data entry and analysis, writing reports, and technical tasks such a use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software to record spatial information and possibly use of chemical, genetic and taxonomic analyses in the lab.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brenden Holland: Professional Resource Managers can enjoy a sense of gratification that accompanies careers that focus on 'making a difference'. Namely, striving for the overarching objectives of understanding causes of environmental challenges, and doing something about this damage, by improving and restoring our natural ecosystems for future generations. There is a somewhat pervasive feeling of helplessness in our society in the face of many large-scale challenges that are incessantly portrayed in the media. But the sense of satisfaction that comes from engaging in work that seeks positive change is a definite perk. The only associated negative aspect I am aware of in this field is two-fold, on the one hand, the lack of public awareness of the dire consequences of 'business as usual' in terms of environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity; and the lack of sufficient resources and available funding for science-based solutions to address these challenges can be frustrating!
What general advice would you give to a Natural Resource Specialist?
Dr. Adam Aguiar Ph.D.: Biology offers a variety of career opportunities in labs, industry, journalism, environmental organizations, policy-making, teaching, etc. The field is essential for addressing societal challenges and is stable in society.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Adam Aguiar Ph.D.: Biologists enjoy different aspects such as fieldwork, lab work, data analysis, and communicating scientific concepts. Some find fulfillment in teaching and public seminars, while others may have preferences for specific tasks within the field.
What Natural Resource Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Elena Tonc: Stay curious and keep learning-the field is constantly evolving with new techniques and building on previous knowledge so it will be important to stay up-to-date. Also, more generally, there is always something new to learn in biology or explore a new subfield. Another thing to keep in mind is building relationships. Reach out to professionals who are on the career path you desire and schedule informational interviews as they are a fantastic way to gain insights, advice, and potentially even mentorship. Learning from others' experiences can help you navigate your career path more effectively and open up opportunities you might not have considered otherwise. The diversity of career trajectories in biology means there's no one-size-fits-all approach, so being proactive in seeking guidance and learning from others' journeys can be immensely valuable.
What will help Natural Resource Specialists increase their earning potential?
Elena Tonc: Having a specialized skillset is one way to increase your compensation potential early in your career as those jobs are high in demand and companies might offer bigger salary incentives as a recruitment tool. Of course, negotiation is a big part too-don't be afraid to ask for higher compensation after researching salary ranges for similar positions in your location.