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Natural resource technician salary
Average natural resource technician salary
$16.15
Natural Resource Technician Salary Overview
The average salary for a Natural Resource Technician is approximately $33,588 annually, translating to about $16 per hour. This salary varies significantly based on location, experience, and specific job responsibilities. For instance, technicians in states like California and New York often earn higher wages compared to those in southern states.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience plays a vital role in salary determination. Entry-level positions typically start lower, around $28,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $40,000 annually. Additionally, certifications and specializations in areas such as wildlife management or forestry can impact earning potential.
Job Opportunities
Natural Resource Technicians find opportunities in various sectors, including government agencies, conservation organizations, and private companies. Pursuing positions in regions with high demand for environmental conservation can lead to increased job security and salary growth.
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Where can a Natural Resource Technician earn more?
Natural resource technician salary estimates from across the web
Average natural resource technician salary by state
The average natural resource technician salary in Alaska, Minnesota, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average natural resource technician salary states are Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for natural resource technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $42,744 | $20.55 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $37,169 | $17.87 |
| 3 | Maine | $36,655 | $17.62 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $36,605 | $17.60 |
| 5 | Vermont | $37,134 | $17.85 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $39,360 | $18.92 |
| 7 | Nevada | $35,855 | $17.24 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $36,079 | $17.35 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $36,877 | $17.73 |
| 10 | Idaho | $34,703 | $16.68 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $36,458 | $17.53 |
| 12 | Alabama | $36,436 | $17.52 |
| 13 | Iowa | $35,088 | $16.87 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $34,676 | $16.67 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $33,635 | $16.17 |
| 16 | Virginia | $37,769 | $18.16 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $36,635 | $17.61 |
| 18 | Arizona | $34,174 | $16.43 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $33,212 | $15.97 |
| 20 | Washington | $35,780 | $17.20 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $37,101 | $17.84 |
| 22 | Montana | $32,636 | $15.69 |
| 23 | Michigan | $34,387 | $16.53 |
| 24 | Ohio | $34,099 | $16.39 |
| 25 | California | $35,829 | $17.23 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $31,852 | $15.31 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $32,576 | $15.66 |
| 28 | Delaware | $34,875 | $16.77 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $34,349 | $16.51 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $32,305 | $15.53 |
| 31 | Colorado | $32,851 | $15.79 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $31,788 | $15.28 |
| 33 | Utah | $31,581 | $15.18 |
| 34 | Oregon | $31,654 | $15.22 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $31,806 | $15.29 |
| 36 | New York | $33,513 | $16.11 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $31,602 | $15.19 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $31,662 | $15.22 |
| 39 | Missouri | $31,666 | $15.22 |
| 40 | Maryland | $34,619 | $16.64 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $34,484 | $16.58 |
| 42 | Georgia | $31,587 | $15.19 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $29,806 | $14.33 |
| 44 | Texas | $31,486 | $15.14 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $28,991 | $13.94 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $31,262 | $15.03 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $27,526 | $13.23 |
| 48 | Illinois | $28,987 | $13.94 |
| 49 | Florida | $27,550 | $13.25 |
| 50 | Indiana | $28,033 | $13.48 |
| 51 | Kansas | $27,543 | $13.24 |
Highest paying cities for natural resource technicians
The highest-paying cities for natural resource technicians are Anchorage, AK, Arlington, VA, and Olympia, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage, AK | $42,886 | $20.62 |
| 2 | Arlington, VA | $38,515 | $18.52 |
| 3 | Olympia, WA | $36,428 | $17.51 |
| 4 | Fresno, CA | $36,033 | $17.32 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $35,697 | $17.16 |
| 6 | Iowa City, IA | $35,246 | $16.95 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $34,727 | $16.70 |
| 8 | Delaware, OH | $33,988 | $16.34 |
| 9 | San Juan, PR | $33,875 | $16.29 |
| 10 | Carlsbad, NM | $33,259 | $15.99 |
| 11 | Littleton, CO | $32,860 | $15.80 |
| 12 | Cary, NC | $32,456 | $15.60 |
| 13 | North Little Rock, AR | $31,720 | $15.25 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $31,603 | $15.19 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $31,541 | $15.16 |
| 16 | Merrillville, IN | $28,418 | $13.66 |
| 17 | Columbia, SC | $27,515 | $13.23 |
Natural resource technician salary details
A natural resource technician's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a natural resource technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| Average | $33,588 | $2,799 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying natural resource technician jobs
The highest paying types of natural resource technicians are fire management officer, resource manager forester, and environmental scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Management Officer | $77,536 | $6,461 | $37.28 | 121,051 |
| Environmental Scientist | $60,208 | $5,017 | $28.95 | 56,425 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
| Environmental Technician | $39,690 | $3,308 | $19.08 | 43,079 |
| Conservation Technician | $35,950 | $2,996 | $17.28 | 6,640 |
| Range Technician | $36,047 | $3,004 | $17.33 | 5,976 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for natural resource technicians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
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
Top companies hiring natural resource technicians now:
Which companies pay natural resource technicians the most?
Natural resource technician salaries at Student Conservation Association and Colliers Engineering & Design are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average natural resource technician salary at companies like TRC Companies and Avista are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Student Conservation Association | $39,906 | $19.19 |
| 2 | Colliers Engineering & Design | $37,978 | $18.26 |
| 3 | TRC Companies | $37,695 | $18.12 |
| 4 | Avista | $37,597 | $18.08 |
| 5 | Minnesota Limited | $36,261 | $17.43 |
| 6 | Minnesota State Fair | $36,257 | $17.43 |
| 7 | SWCA Environmental Consultants | $35,683 | $17.16 |
| 8 | Iowa State Association of Counties | $35,048 | $16.85 |
| 9 | Colorado State Express | $34,976 | $16.82 |
| 10 | Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City | $34,905 | $16.78 |
| 11 | Outagamie County | $34,396 | $16.54 |
| 12 | Washington State University | $34,284 | $16.48 |
| 13 | Americorps | $34,230 | $16.46 |
| 14 | Iowa Department of Transportation | $32,895 | $15.81 |
| 15 | Anoka County | $32,165 | $15.46 |
| 16 | Howard County Government | $31,815 | $15.30 |
| 17 | Huron-Clinton Metroparks | $31,439 | $15.11 |
| 18 | Alaska State Library | $31,398 | $15.10 |
| 19 | Metroparks Toledo | $31,294 | $15.05 |
| 20 | City of Lakewood | $30,337 | $14.59 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Natural resource technician salary trends
The average natural resource technician salary has risen by $3,166 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average natural resource technician earned $30,422 annually, but today, they earn $33,588 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for natural resource technicians over the last decade.
Compare natural resource technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average natural resource technician salary over time
Compare natural resource technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Natural resource technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,600 | $16.15 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | $33,400 | $16.08 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | $32,400 | $15.58 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $31,500 | $15.14 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $31,000 | $14.90 | +0.4% |
Recently added natural resource technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Washington | Wildlife Area Technician-Natural Resource Technician 3 (In-Training)-Perm-2 Openings | Clarkston, WA | 06/27/2025 | $36,336 |
| State of Indiana | Seasonal Natural Resources Tech | Edinburgh, IN | 06/26/2025 | $27,131 |
| Dasstateoh | Natural Resources Technician 1 (TAR Hollow State Park) | Chillicothe, OH | 06/24/2025 | $40,634 |
| Colorado State University | Natural Resources Technician-Early Career Development Program, Avon Park AFR | Fort Collins, CO | 06/21/2025 | $40,000 |
| State of Ohio | Natural Resources Technician 1 (Barkcamp State Park) | Belmont, OH | 06/19/2025 | $40,634 |
| Natural Resources | Natural Resources Technician 1 (Barkcamp State Park) | Belmont, OH | 06/18/2025 | $40,634 |
| State of Virginia | 09583-Natural Resource Spec SR | Bristol, VA | 06/15/2025 | $65,198 |
| Salt Lake City, Ut | Natural Resources Technician II | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/06/2025 | $43,806 |
| Dasstateoh | Natural Resources Technician | Belmont, OH | 05/28/2025 | $38,881 |
| State of Ohio | Natural Resources Technician | Belmont, OH | 05/26/2025 | $38,881 |
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