Life As a Range Manager
Job Description: Research or study range land management practices to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife.
Daily Life Of a Range Manager
- Measure and assess vegetation resources for biological assessment companies, environmental impact statements, and rangeland monitoring programs.
- Develop methods for protecting range from fire and rodent damage and for controlling poisonous plants.
- Plan and direct construction and maintenance of range improvements such as fencing, corrals, stock-watering reservoirs and soil-erosion control structures.
- Study grazing patterns to determine number and kind of livestock that can be most profitably grazed and to determine the best grazing seasons.
- Study rangeland management practices and research range problems to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife.
- Develop new and improved instruments and techniques for activities such as range reseeding.
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What Every Range Manager Should Know
These are the skills Range Managers say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Other Range Manager Job Titles
- Wildlife Manager
- Preservationist
- Wildlife Refuge Specialist
- Forestry and Wildlife Manager
- Range Technician
Is There Going to be Demand for Range Managers?
There were about 22,300 jobs for Range Manager in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,400 new jobs for Range Manager by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,000 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Range Manager are Colorado, New Hampshire, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, New Mexico, or Maryland. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Range Managers Make A Lot Of Money?
Range Managers make between $34,020 and $98,450 a year.

Range Managers who work in Connecticut, Alaska, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
How much do Range Managers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $59,310 |
Alaska | $93,390 |
Arizona | $71,190 |
Arkansas | $70,630 |
California | $75,980 |
Colorado | $71,170 |
Connecticut | $87,710 |
Delaware | $55,300 |
Florida | $40,620 |
Georgia | $69,390 |
Hawaii | $68,360 |
Idaho | $66,510 |
Illinois | $63,840 |
Indiana | $63,320 |
Iowa | $56,820 |
Kansas | $68,910 |
Kentucky | $67,440 |
Louisiana | $61,430 |
Maine | $61,970 |
Maryland | $79,070 |
Massachusetts | $72,200 |
Michigan | $63,460 |
Minnesota | $72,650 |
Mississippi | $54,870 |
Missouri | $57,580 |
Montana | $64,480 |
Nebraska | $65,300 |
Nevada | $61,670 |
New Hampshire | $72,160 |
New Jersey | $85,360 |
New Mexico | $68,710 |
North Carolina | $61,780 |
North Dakota | $64,900 |
Ohio | $55,550 |
Oklahoma | $64,330 |
Oregon | $76,790 |
Pennsylvania | $55,200 |
South Carolina | $56,220 |
South Dakota | $62,390 |
Tennessee | $68,440 |
Texas | $57,990 |
Utah | $63,720 |
Vermont | $55,150 |
Virginia | $75,370 |
Washington | $65,120 |
West Virginia | $50,210 |
Wisconsin | $65,610 |
Wyoming | $71,180 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Range Managers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Range Managers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Python
- Microsoft Access
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- Linux
- UNIX
- R
- Practical extraction and reporting language Perl
- Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Data mining software
- Geographic resources analysis support system GRASS
- GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP
- FARSITE
- FlamMap
Becoming a Range Manager
What education is needed to be a Range Manager?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Range Managers?

The table below shows the approximate number of Range Managers employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Range Manager may also be interested in:
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Those who work as a Range Manager sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Lynn Betts via Photo by Lynn Betts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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