Conservation Scientists

Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands. May instruct farmers, agricultural production managers, or ranchers in best ways to use crop rotation, contour plowing, or terracing to conserve soil and water; in the number and kind of livestock and forage plants best suited to particular ranges; and in range and farm improvements, such as fencing and reservoirs for stock watering.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Complex Problem Solving
Writing
Science
Critical Thinking
Active Learning

Key knowledge

English Language
Biology
Mathematics
Geography
Customer and Personal Service
Chemistry
Law and Government
Computers and Electronics

What the work involves

Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions.
Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
Visit areas affected by erosion problems to identify causes or determine solutions.
Develop or maintain working relationships with local government staff or board members.
Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations.
Compute design specifications for implementation of conservation practices, using survey or field information, technical guides or engineering manuals.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Realistic, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (69.6% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (21.7%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (22.7%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Conservation Scientists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 81% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 68% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 76% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 54% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 86% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Very low	Lower on conflict situations than 91% of occupations compared	70% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 80% of occupations compared	57% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Low	Lower on consequence of error than 75% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: very low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions