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General Natural Resources Conservation

Types of Degrees General Natural Resources Conservation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Natural Resources Conservation have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	41
Associate’s Degree	264
Bachelor’s Degree	1,318
Master’s Degree	993
Doctor’s Degree	106

What General Natural Resources Conservation Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Natural Resources Conservation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a General Natural Resources Conservation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE	Map creation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Natural Resources Conservation graduates include:

• Professor
• Timber Management Professor
• Natural Resources Program Instructor
• Forestry Faculty Member
• Ecology Professor
• Wildlife Conservation Professor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Forest Products Teacher
• Natural Resources Instructor
• Natural Resources Faculty Member
• Forest Pathology Professor
• Extension Professor
• Range Instructor
• Forest Biometrics Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General 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	35.9%
Doctoral degree	29.6%
Master’s degree	11.3%
Post-doctoral training	10.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Postsecondary certificate	1.2%
Some college courses	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Natural Resources Conservation?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.1% women and 41.9% men among General Natural Resources Conservation graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,591	58.1%
Men	1,148	41.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,926	70.3%
Asian	72	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	282	10.3%
Black or African American	72	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.3%
Two or More Races	120	4.4%
Race Unknown	59	2.2%
International Students	182	6.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Natural Resources Conservation Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General 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 General Natural Resources Conservation Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for General 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	3	4
Bachelor’s	1	1
Master’s	6	2

^{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 General Natural Resources Conservation Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General 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 and Research	03.01
Environmental Science	03.0104
Environmental Studies	03.0103
Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Other	03.0199
Forestry, General	03.0501
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General	03.0201
Forest Management/Forest Resources Management	03.0506
Forest Resources Production and Management	03.0510
Forest Sciences and Biology	03.0502
Forestry, Other	03.0599
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	03.0206

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.