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Conservation Biology

Types of Degrees Conservation Biology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Conservation Biology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	322
Master’s Degree	259
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Conservation Biology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Conservation Biology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Conservation Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Conservation Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Conservation Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Conservation Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Conservation Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Conservation Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Conservation Biology graduates include:

• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Lecturer
• Faculty Member
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Range Conservationist
• Conservationist
• Range Scientist
• Natural Resources Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Conservation Biology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	27.4%
Doctoral degree	24.7%
Post-doctoral training	23.4%
Master’s degree	18.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Postsecondary certificate	0.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%
Some college courses	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Conservation Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.8% of Conservation Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	407	68.8%
Men	185	31.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Conservation Biology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	433	73.1%
Asian	16	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	39	6.6%
Black or African American	12	2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	33	5.6%
Race Unknown	48	8.1%
International Students	10	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Conservation Biology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Conservation Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,645
4 years	$55,280
5 years	$64,232

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,232 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Conservation Biology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Conservation Biology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Conservation Biology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Conservation Biology graduates earn a median of $55,280 four years after completion — roughly 45% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	26.13
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	26.1310
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	26.1399
Ecology	26.1301
Environmental Biology	26.1305
Epidemiology and Biostatistics	26.1311
Epidemiology	26.1309
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Population Biology	26.1306
Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics	26.1308
Anatomy	26.0403

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.