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Job outlook for naturalists in the United States
Naturalist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected naturalist job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 1,800 new jobs for naturalists are projected over the next decade.
Naturalist salaries have increased 4% for naturalists in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,305 naturalists currently employed in the United States.
There are 6,913 active naturalist job openings in the US.
The average naturalist salary is $42,363.
Are naturalist jobs in demand?
Naturalist job and salary trends over time
Naturalist jobs over time
Naturalist job growth rate over time
| Year | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,305 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,204 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,213 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,238 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,208 | 0.00% |
Average naturalist salary over time
Naturalist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,363 | $20.37 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $41,463 | $19.93 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $40,570 | $19.50 | --0.3% |
| 2022 | $40,682 | $19.56 | --0.5% |
| 2021 | $40,901 | $19.66 | +1.1% |
Naturalist jobs by state
Most common states for naturalists
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 45 | 6% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 62 | 5% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 33 | 5% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 32 | 4% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 135 | 2% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 111 | 2% |
| 7 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 88 | 2% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 52 | 2% |
| 9 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 40 | 2% |
| 10 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 35 | 2% |
| 11 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 24 | 2% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 19 | 2% |
| 13 | Vermont | 623,657 | 14 | 2% |
| 14 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 14 | 2% |
| 15 | California | 39,536,653 | 428 | 1% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 128 | 1% |
| 17 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 109 | 1% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 27 | 1% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 25 | 1% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 6 | 1% |
Naturalist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of naturalist experts
Gonzaga University
Kennesaw State University
Albright College
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair
Professor/ChairGonzaga University
Natural Resources Conservation And Research
What will help Naturalists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair: We find that graphical information systems (GIS) skills are in high demand. Soft skills such as ability to work as a team, develop work plans, collaborate and communicate with diverse stakeholders, communicate technical and scientific information, are, and will be very important in the near and long term future.
What Naturalist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aaron Haines Ph.D., Certified Wildlife Biologist ®: The current most prevalent skill sets and qualifications for students interested in the ecology and environmental fields include good communication through speaking and writing. It is important to be able to communicate as an effective team member, communicate with private landowners, volunteers, and to the public for education purposes. Writing skills will be important for correctly recording data, completing certifications, helping to write grants (and other fundraising efforts) and completing reports.
Be in good physical condition to complete fieldwork and gather data. Sometimes you will be deep in the field and off-trail. The better shape you are in, the better your ability to deal with hot, cold, or humid weather conditions and bothersome insects. Physical exhaustion leads to increased errors in the field.
When in the field, certain professions prefer combinations of the following skills: Use of GPS units, ability to drive 4-wheel drive vehicles and/or ATVs, boating experience, chainsaw, herbicide and pesticide application, identification of flora and fauna, ability access soil and water quality, and prescribed fire experience.
Have standard IT skills to gather data via phone or tablet and be familiar with standard programs such as WORD, EXCEL, and ACCESS.
Future skills will include the ability to gather data remotely from the field (e.g., Lidar spatial data, acoustic recordings, remote cameras, drone data, eDNA) and onto the Could. It will also be beneficial to speak more than one language and be able to develop a strong web presence for your project and organization.
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental ScienceKennesaw State University
Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
What Naturalist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.: I think the best advice I can offer recent graduates is to be as flexible as possible. Being willing to relocate, for example, vastly expands the number of potential jobs they can apply to. Applying for positions that might not be exactly where they want to go, but might give them the experience or skills they need to get to their desired career after a year or two also will help open more doors. So if you can't find your ideal job right away, consider that internship or volunteer opportunity that will make you more marketable in the future.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Naturalist job market given the pandemic?
David Osgood: The post-pandemic workplace will be more complex, require more versatility, and likely experience greater interactions within an increasingly diverse workforce. This will primarily result from an increasing presence of virtual platforms for exchange of ideas and other routine business. Some practices will become easier as a result but new challenges will also emerge. Institutions are likely to adopt more flexibility into the workplace so they are prepared to react to employee demand for increased work-life balance (e.g. strain on child-support) or less predictability in supply and delivery (e.g. changes in transportation). The job market has always required specialized skills and in-depth disciplinary knowledge but, increasingly, positions will open for people that are able to effectively coordinate activities across disciplines and cultures. Institutions will become more co-dependent to increase the ability to adapt to market changes and changing regulations. Interdisciplinarity, the combination of more than one discipline into activities, will become a more explicit requirement within the working world to allow employers to bring complexity and flexibility into their business model. The interdisciplinary nature of fields such as environmental studies where psychology, biology, ecology, and ethics are equally leveraged to address problems, will be called upon to create a network of professionals that are able to work efficiently together. There could even be an increase in an emerging category of profession dedicated to helping a business or institution adapt, where interdisciplinary training will be a cornerstone.