How To Become A Natural Resource Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a natural resource technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Mark Ashton

Population growth equals more consumption of natural resources, which, in turn, means more need for a natural resource technician. Candidates interested in this career path have to be truly interested in environment protection and management.

Natural resource technicians perform a variety of tasks which include forest management, wildlife conservation, and monitoring of soil, water, and air quality. They may work for the federal government or for private companies, which gives them a range of career paths to choose from.

To be able to qualify for the job, applicants are required to hold a bachelor's degree in environmental science, natural resources management, or related fields. Field research, capstone projects, or internships will also be valued by potential employers. Additionally, they are expected to have strong analytical abilities, research skills, and knowledge of environmental protection or wildlife conservation.

What general advice would you give to a natural resource technician?

Mark Ashton

Senior Associate Dean of The Forest School; Morris K. Jesup Professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecology and Director of School Forests, Yale University

Be flexible and adaptable in selecting your first job, and gain from that experience so that, even if it is not exactly what you want to do, it provides you the experience and a resume portfolio that makes you more attractive for getting the position that you do really want later.

ScoreNatural Resource TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,588

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.00%

Asian 6.94%

Black or African American 9.36%

Hispanic or Latino 14.72%

Unknown 5.76%

White 62.21%

Gender

female 39.30%

male 60.70%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a natural resource technician

Explore natural resource technician education requirements

Most common natural resource technician degrees

Bachelor's

78.6 %

Associate

13.7 %

Master's

5.0 %

Start to develop specific natural resource technician skills

Skills	Percentages
GPS	10.40%
Natural Resources	9.47%
Hand Tools	7.35%
GRASS	5.77%
Data Collection	5.58%

Complete relevant natural resource technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New natural resource technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a natural resource technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real natural resource technician resumes.

Research natural resource technician duties and responsibilities

Manage facility projects, produce facility reports preventive maintenance, work orders and administer maintenance program using CMMS and SCADA.
Train in intermediate processing including working with isolate stem cells while meetingcompany and FDA regulations for lifesaving and life-enhancing products.
Coordinate a restoration and conservation grant program locating, surveying and controlling invasive wetland species.

Prepare your natural resource technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your natural resource technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a natural resource technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable natural resource technician resume templates

Build a professional natural resource technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your natural resource technician resume.