How much does a conservation worker make?

The average conservation worker salary in the United States is $36,395. Conservation worker salaries typically range between $26,000 and $50,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for conservation workers is $17.5 per hour. Conservation worker salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Conservation workers earn the highest average salary in Rhode Island.

Conservation worker salary

Q: What state pays Conservation Workers the most?

Rhode Island pays Conservation Workers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $36,663 per year, or $17.63 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a conservation worker?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a conservation worker if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Connecticut you should be paid close to $36,491 per year.

Average conservation worker salary

$36,395

$17.5 hourly rate

Entry-level conservation worker salary

$26,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Average Conservation Worker Salary

The average salary for a Conservation Worker is approximately $36,395 annually or about $18 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific sector of employment. For instance, entry-level positions may start lower, while those with specialized skills and significant experience can earn more.

State-by-State Salary Breakdown

In terms of geographical pay differences, certain states offer higher compensation for Conservation Workers. For example, positions in states like California and New York tend to provide more competitive salaries due to the higher cost of living and demand for environmental services. Understanding the regional salary variations can help job seekers target their applications effectively.

Industry Insights

Conservation Workers can find opportunities in various industries, including government agencies, non-profits, and private sector environmental consultancies. Each sector presents unique challenges and rewards. By analyzing salary data across these industries, prospective employees can identify which areas offer the best financial prospects and job satisfaction.

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Conservation worker salary by:

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Where can a Conservation Worker earn more?

Compare salary by location

62k

42k

22k

Columbus, OH$35,372

Tangent, OR$32,071

Compare salary by company

59k

39k

19k

-1k

Four Seasons$43,745

Benny's$28,879

Conservation worker salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for a conservation worker typically falls between $36,395 and $51,569.

zippia

$36,395yearly

glassdoor[1]

$39,291yearly

ZipRecruiter[2]

$51,569yearly

Average conservation worker salary by state

The highest-paying states for conservation workers are Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The lowest average conservation worker salary states are Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for conservation workers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	West Virginia	$34,402	$16.54
2	New Hampshire	$35,645	$17.14
3	South Dakota	$33,230	$15.98
4	Connecticut	$36,491	$17.54
5	North Dakota	$34,904	$16.78
6	Michigan	$35,447	$17.04
7	Pennsylvania	$35,755	$17.19
8	Ohio	$34,785	$16.72
9	Rhode Island	$36,663	$17.63
10	Delaware	$35,451	$17.04
11	Minnesota	$34,860	$16.76
12	Wisconsin	$35,048	$16.85
13	North Carolina	$32,938	$15.84
14	Tennessee	$32,346	$15.55
15	California	$34,735	$16.70
16	Kentucky	$33,190	$15.96
17	Iowa	$33,624	$16.17
18	Indiana	$34,171	$16.43
19	Virginia	$34,233	$16.46
20	Nebraska	$32,525	$15.64
21	Maine	$34,076	$16.38
22	Vermont	$34,897	$16.78
23	New York	$36,200	$17.40
24	New Jersey	$35,999	$17.31
25	District of Columbia	$34,912	$16.78
26	New Mexico	$32,830	$15.78
27	Massachusetts	$36,292	$17.45
28	Maryland	$35,090	$16.87
29	Illinois	$34,582	$16.63
30	Nevada	$33,592	$16.15
31	Louisiana	$32,548	$15.65
32	South Carolina	$32,522	$15.64
33	Arizona	$33,714	$16.21
34	Texas	$32,734	$15.74
35	Missouri	$32,514	$15.63
36	Alabama	$32,252	$15.51
37	Florida	$32,719	$15.73
38	Oklahoma	$32,079	$15.42
39	Mississippi	$32,296	$15.53
40	Kansas	$32,240	$15.50
41	Arkansas	$31,974	$15.37
42	Georgia	$32,272	$15.52
43	Utah	$31,681	$15.23
44	Oregon	$31,890	$15.33
45	Hawaii	$32,210	$15.49
46	Montana	$31,884	$15.33
47	Washington	$31,226	$15.01
48	Idaho	$31,195	$15.00
49	Colorado	$31,672	$15.23
50	Wyoming	$31,472	$15.13
51	Alaska	$28,898	$13.89

Top conservation worker jobs near you

Highest paying cities for conservation workers

The highest-paying cities for conservation workers are Ann Arbor, MI, Turlock, CA, and Los Angeles, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Ann Arbor, MI	$35,372	$17.01
2	Turlock, CA	$34,828	$16.74
3	Los Angeles, CA	$34,707	$16.69
4	South Boston, VA	$33,535	$16.12
5	Castalia, NC	$33,361	$16.04
6	Medford, OR	$32,891	$15.81
7	Central Point, OR	$32,890	$15.81
8	Nacogdoches, TX	$32,522	$15.64
9	Live Oak, FL	$32,491	$15.62
10	Florence, OR	$32,485	$15.62
11	Robeline, LA	$32,474	$15.61
12	Braxton, MS	$32,380	$15.57
13	Heflin, LA	$32,348	$15.55
14	Oak Park, GA	$32,345	$15.55
15	Dubberly, LA	$32,332	$15.54
16	Dublin, GA	$32,305	$15.53
17	Columbia Falls, ME	$32,271	$15.51
18	Philomath, OR	$32,123	$15.44
19	Corvallis, OR	$32,094	$15.43
20	Tangent, OR	$32,071	$15.42

Conservation worker salary details

A conservation worker's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average conservation worker salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a conservation worker's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$50,000	$4,167	$24
75th Percentile	$43,000	$3,583	$21
Average	$36,395	$3,033	$18
25th Percentile	$30,000	$2,500	$14
10th Percentile	$26,000	$2,167	$13

Highest paying conservation worker jobs

The highest paying types of conservation workers are hacker, foreman, and forest resource specialist.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Foreman	$55,073	$4,589	$26.48	8,405
Lead Abatement Worker	$31,307	$2,609	$15.05	41,974
Labour Worker	$30,080	$2,507	$14.46	85,623

Top companies hiring conservation workers now:

Which companies pay conservation workers the most?

Conservation worker salaries at Four Seasons and New York State Restaurant Association are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average conservation worker salary at companies like Superior Forestry Services and Alpha are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Four Seasons	$43,745	$21.03
2	New York State Restaurant Association	$38,781	$18.64
3	Superior Forestry Services	$37,148	$17.86
4	Alpha	$36,426	$17.51
5	MUSEUM.COM	$35,469	$17.05
6	City of Ann Arbor	$34,272	$16.48
7	Benny's	$28,879	$13.88

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$40,000$39,600$39,200$38,800$38,400$38,000

MaleFemale

Conservation Worker salary by industry

The average conservation worker salary varies across industries:

The average conservation worker salary in the health care industry is $43,408, the highest of any industry.
The average conservation worker salary in the finance industry is $37,066.
Conservation workers in the government industry earn an average salary of $35,584, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for conservation workers

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Health Care	$43,408	$20.87
2	Professional	$37,066	$17.82
3	Non Profits	$36,132	$17.37
4	Government	$35,584	$17.11

High paying conservation worker jobs

Conservation worker salary trends

The average conservation worker salary has risen by $8,719 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average conservation worker earned $27,676 annually, but today, they earn $36,395 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for conservation workers over the last decade.

Compare conservation worker salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average conservation worker salary over time

Compare conservation worker salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Conservation worker salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2026	$36,400	$17.50	-3.7%
2025	$37,700	$18.14	+13.6%
2024	$32,600	$15.68	-0.7%
2023	$32,800	$15.79	+2.6%
2022	$32,000	$15.38	+2.8%

Recently added conservation worker salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
State of Illinois	Conservation/Historic Preservation Worker	Granite City, IL	05/28/2025	$40,822
State of Illinois	Conservation/Historic Preservation Worker	Madison, WI	05/24/2025	$40,822
State of Illinois	Conservation/Historic Preservation Worker	Perry, GA	05/18/2025	$40,822
State of Illinois	Conservation/Historic Preservation Worker	Ione, OR	05/18/2025	$40,822
City of Ann Arbor	Temporary Conservation Worker II	Ann Arbor, MI	05/02/2025	$38,985
State of Illinois	Conservation/Historic Preservation Worker	Rock Island, IL	04/17/2025	$40,822
State of Illinois	Conservation/Historic Preservation Worker	Lawrenceville, IL	03/26/2025	$40,822
DHRM	Project Assistant Conservator-Works On Paper	Richmond, VA	03/23/2025	$48,000
City of Bozeman, Mt	Water Conservation Short-Term Worker	Bozeman, MT	03/22/2025	$43,827
State of Virginia	Project Assistant Conservator-Works On Paper	Richmond, VA	03/21/2025	$48,000

Conservation worker salary FAQs

What state pays Conservation Workers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a conservation worker?

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Updated December 15, 2025

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