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Natural resource specialist salary
Average natural resource specialist salary
$68,446
Understanding Natural Resource Specialist Salaries
As a Natural Resource Specialist, you will engage in critical tasks such as managing land, water, and wildlife resources. This role typically offers an average annual salary of $68,446, translating to approximately $33 per hour. Salaries may vary based on location, experience, and the specific sector of employment.
Salary by State
Different states offer varying pay scales for Natural Resource Specialists. For instance, specialists in regions with rich natural resources or high demand for environmental management may earn more. States like California and Alaska are known for higher salary ranges.
Experience Matters
Your experience level significantly impacts your earning potential. Entry-level positions may start lower, while specialists with several years in the field can command salaries well above the average. Continuous education and certifications can also enhance your prospects in this rewarding career path.
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Where can a Natural Resource Specialist earn more?
Natural resource specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average natural resource specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for natural resource specialists are California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The lowest average natural resource specialist salary states are Wyoming, North Dakota, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for natural resource specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $112,712 | $54.19 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $79,786 | $38.36 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $84,513 | $40.63 |
| 4 | Nevada | $75,600 | $36.35 |
| 5 | Delaware | $77,986 | $37.49 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $87,632 | $42.13 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $79,322 | $38.14 |
| 8 | California | $91,530 | $44.00 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $74,861 | $35.99 |
| 10 | Virginia | $77,394 | $37.21 |
| 11 | New York | $82,640 | $39.73 |
| 12 | Illinois | $80,021 | $38.47 |
| 13 | Maryland | $78,556 | $37.77 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $67,907 | $32.65 |
| 15 | Colorado | $77,145 | $37.09 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $66,878 | $32.15 |
| 17 | Michigan | $70,571 | $33.93 |
| 18 | Ohio | $71,297 | $34.28 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $66,829 | $32.13 |
| 20 | Oregon | $67,749 | $32.57 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $67,572 | $32.49 |
| 22 | Georgia | $67,525 | $32.46 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $62,337 | $29.97 |
| 24 | Maine | $61,044 | $29.35 |
| 25 | Idaho | $62,628 | $30.11 |
| 26 | Indiana | $65,948 | $31.71 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $64,800 | $31.15 |
| 28 | Kansas | $62,841 | $30.21 |
| 29 | Montana | $60,299 | $28.99 |
| 30 | Vermont | $60,846 | $29.25 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,479 | $31.96 |
| 32 | Arizona | $60,552 | $29.11 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $57,571 | $27.68 |
| 34 | Washington | $64,234 | $30.88 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $69,311 | $33.32 |
| 36 | Texas | $61,487 | $29.56 |
| 37 | Alaska | $53,079 | $25.52 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $58,417 | $28.09 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $56,443 | $27.14 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $51,187 | $24.61 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $50,925 | $24.48 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $50,810 | $24.43 |
| 43 | Utah | $57,149 | $27.48 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $50,683 | $24.37 |
| 45 | Alabama | $55,554 | $26.71 |
| 46 | Iowa | $49,546 | $23.82 |
| 47 | Florida | $49,433 | $23.77 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $53,189 | $25.57 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $55,926 | $26.89 |
| 50 | Missouri | $54,307 | $26.11 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $53,700 | $25.82 |
Highest paying cities for natural resource specialists
The highest-paying cities for natural resource specialists are Washington, DC, San Mateo, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $112,780 | $54.22 |
| 2 | San Mateo, CA | $96,462 | $46.38 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $83,115 | $39.96 |
| 4 | Odenton, MD | $78,692 | $37.83 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $77,972 | $37.49 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $77,695 | $37.35 |
| 7 | Lakewood, CO | $77,096 | $37.07 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | $70,940 | $34.11 |
| 9 | Lansing, MI | $69,710 | $33.51 |
| 10 | East Windsor, NJ | $69,515 | $33.42 |
| 11 | Raleigh, NC | $68,383 | $32.88 |
| 12 | Salem, OR | $67,875 | $32.63 |
| 13 | Olympia, WA | $64,932 | $31.22 |
| 14 | Houston, TX | $61,877 | $29.75 |
| 15 | Helena, MT | $60,678 | $29.17 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $60,631 | $29.15 |
| 17 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $57,621 | $27.70 |
| 18 | Milwaukee, WI | $56,430 | $27.13 |
| 19 | Fairbanks, AK | $53,255 | $25.60 |
| 20 | Lincoln, NE | $50,887 | $24.46 |
Natural resource specialist salary details
A natural resource specialist's salary ranges from $44,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a natural resource specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $68,446 | $5,704 | $33 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
Highest paying natural resource specialist jobs
The highest paying types of natural resource specialists are environmental scientist lead, senior environmental scientist, and field scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Analyst | $60,795 | $5,066 | $29.23 | 17,018 |
| Environmental Scientist/Geologist | $63,344 | $5,279 | $30.45 | 55,899 |
| Environmental Technician | $39,690 | $3,308 | $19.08 | 43,079 |
| Field Scientist | $76,601 | $6,383 | $36.83 | 88,454 |
| Staff Environmental Scientist | $62,433 | $5,203 | $30.02 | 124,536 |
| Environmental Scientist | $60,208 | $5,017 | $28.95 | 56,425 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for natural resource specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring natural resource specialists now:
Which companies pay natural resource specialists the most?
Natural resource specialist salaries at Booz Allen Hamilton and Jacobs Engineering Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average natural resource specialist salary at companies like Forest and Swiss Reinsurance America Corporation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $102,842 | $49.44 |
| 2 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $88,913 | $42.75 |
| 3 | Forest Manufacturing Co | $84,958 | $40.85 |
| 4 | Swiss Reinsurance America Corporation | $81,850 | $39.35 |
| 5 | National Park Foundation | $80,068 | $38.49 |
| 6 | Sotheby's | $75,603 | $36.35 |
| 7 | United States Army Corps of Engineers | $73,081 | $35.14 |
| 8 | DuBois & King | $73,037 | $35.11 |
| 9 | Jacobs Enterprises | $73,012 | $35.10 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State Treasurer | $73,011 | $35.10 |
| 11 | GEI Consultants | $72,920 | $35.06 |
| 12 | Groundwater & Environmental Services | $72,417 | $34.82 |
| 13 | The University of Texas at El Paso | $72,338 | $34.78 |
| 14 | AKS Engineering & Forestry | $72,173 | $34.70 |
| 15 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | $69,932 | $33.62 |
| 16 | iHire | $69,765 | $33.54 |
| 17 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | $67,998 | $32.69 |
| 18 | Anchor QEA | $67,646 | $32.52 |
| 19 | Washington State University | $67,245 | $32.33 |
| 20 | Indian Health Service | $66,504 | $31.97 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Natural resource specialist salary trends
The average natural resource specialist salary has risen by $9,636 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average natural resource specialist earned $58,810 annually, but today, they earn $68,446 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for natural resource specialists over the last decade.
Compare natural resource specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average natural resource specialist salary over time
Compare natural resource specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Natural resource specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $68,400 | $32.91 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $66,700 | $32.07 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $66,500 | $31.96 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $64,900 | $31.19 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $64,400 | $30.97 | +2.1% |
Recently added natural resource specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montclair Ymca | Nature/Science Specialist | Montclair, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $37,044 |
| Montclairymca | Nature/Science Specialist | Montclair, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $37,044 |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Senior Natural Resources Specialist | Arlington, TX | 06/28/2025 | $60,000 |
| State of Washington | Watershed Resilience Specialist, Natural Resource Specialist 3 (Nrs3) | Olympia, WA | 06/28/2025 | $58,380 |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Senior Natural Resources Specialist | Arlington, TX | 06/24/2025 | $50,000 |
| State of Alaska | Natural Resource Specialist (PCN) | Anchorage, AK | 06/12/2025 | $26,757 |
| City of Fort Collins, Co | Specialist, Natural Areas (Grassland Health) | Fort Collins, CO | 06/11/2025 | $51,933 |
| State of Oregon | Natural Resource Specialist 4-Forest Resource Analyst | Salem, OR | 06/10/2025 | $73,476 |
| Colorado State University | Natural Resources-Range Management Specialist, Pentagon | Fort Collins, CO | 06/03/2025 | $124,000 |
| Mecklenburg County, Nc | Natural Resources Specialist | Boone, NC | 05/28/2025 | $42,241 |
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