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Natural Resource Economics

Types of Degrees Natural Resource Economics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Natural Resource Economics can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	116
Master’s Degree	63
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Natural Resource Economics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Natural Resource Economics emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Natural Resource Economics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Natural Resource Economics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Natural Resource Economics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Natural Resource Economics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Resource Economics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Resource Economics professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Resource Economics graduates include:

• Microeconomics Professor
• Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Associate Professor
• Economic Adjunct Instructor
• Labor Economics Professor
• Economics Faculty Member
• Economics Lecturer
• Finance Professor
• Transportation Economics Teacher
• Labor Economics Teacher
• Lecturer
• Macroeconomics Professor
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.8%
Doctoral degree	33.2%
Master’s degree	11.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.7%
Some college courses	2.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Resource Economics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.3% of Natural Resource Economics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	111	60.3%
Men	73	39.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Natural Resource Economics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	117	63.6%
Asian	5	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	14	7.6%
Black or African American	7	3.8%
Two or More Races	7	3.8%
Race Unknown	5	2.7%
International Students	29	15.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Resource Economics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Natural Resource Economics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,496
4 years	$52,434
5 years	$59,221

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,221 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Natural Resource Economics Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Natural Resource Economics. 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
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{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 Natural Resource Economics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Natural Resource Economics graduates earn a median of $52,434 four years after completion — roughly 38% 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
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	03.02
Bioenergy	03.0210
Energy and Environmental Policy	03.0209
Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism	03.0207
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services	03.0208
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General	03.0201
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other	03.0299
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	03.0206
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management	03.0205

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.