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Natural Resources Conservation

Types of Degrees Natural Resources Conservation Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	59
Associate’s Degree	894
Bachelor’s Degree	17,854
Master’s Degree	4,553
Doctor’s Degree	471

What Natural Resources Conservation Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Natural Resources Conservation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Natural Resources Conservation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Resources Conservation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Resources Conservation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Resources Conservation graduates include:

• Compliance Analyst
• Compliance Coordinator
• Regulatory Compliance Specialist
• Regulatory Analyst
• Environmental Protection Specialist
• Environmental Compliance Inspector
• Compliance Investigator
• Equal Opportunity Specialist
• Civil Rights Specialist
• Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEO Officer)
• Action Officer
• Equal Employment Opportunity Representative (EEO Representative)
• Affirmative Action Officer (AA Officer)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist (EEO Specialist)
• Complaint Investigations Officer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	47.0%
Master’s degree	12.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.4%
Doctoral degree	7.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.3%
Some college courses	4.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.0%
Post-doctoral training	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
First professional degree	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Resources Conservation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 63.2% of Natural Resources Conservation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	15,080	63.2%
Men	8,773	36.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	15,687	65.8%
Asian	1,174	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	3,015	12.6%
Black or African American	663	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	151	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	44	0.2%
Two or More Races	1,206	5.1%
Race Unknown	694	2.9%
International Students	1,219	5.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Resources Conservation Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Natural Resources Conservation 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	$38,020
4 years	$50,009
5 years	$58,179

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $58,179 — roughly 53% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Natural Resources Conservation Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Natural Resources Conservation. 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
Associate’s	9	13
Bachelor’s	19	23
Master’s	22	28

^{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 Resources Conservation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Natural Resources Conservation graduates earn a median of $50,009 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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
Natural Resources Conservation	03
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	03.02
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management	03.03
Forestry	03.05
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other	03.99
NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION	03.00
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management	03.06

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.