Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008
19-1031 Conservation Scientists
Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands from fire and rodent damage. May instruct farmers, agricultural production managers, or ranchers in best ways to use crop rotation, contour plowing, or terracing to conserve soil and water; in the number and kind of livestock and forage plants best suited to particular ranges; and in range and farm improvements, such as fencing and reservoirs for stock watering. Exclude "Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists" (19-1023) and "Foresters" (19-1032).
National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation: Top
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 15,830 |
1.9 % |
$28.93 |
$60,170 |
0.5 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$16.92 |
$21.79 |
$28.23 |
$35.23 |
$41.78 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$35,190 |
$45,320 |
$58,720 |
$73,280 |
$86,910 |
Industry profile for this occupation: Top
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES designation) |
6,620 |
$33.22 |
$69,090 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations |
1,430 |
$26.22 |
$54,540 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
620 |
$26.60 |
$55,320 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
600 |
$26.26 |
$54,620 |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions |
170 |
$19.57 |
$40,710 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES designation) |
6,620 |
$33.22 |
$69,090 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
110 |
$32.15 |
$66,870 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
140 |
$31.76 |
$66,060 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
50 |
$27.94 |
$58,100 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
620 |
$26.60 |
$55,320 |
State profile for this occupation: Top
States with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all States with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:
| State |
Employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage |
Percent of State employment |
| Montana |
420 |
$27.52 |
$57,240 |
0.095% |
| South Dakota |
330 |
$24.34 |
$50,620 |
0.083% |
| Wyoming |
180 |
$27.35 |
$56,880 |
0.063% |
| Alaska |
170 |
$38.01 |
$79,060 |
0.055% |
| North Dakota |
190 |
$28.47 |
$59,210 |
0.054% |
Top paying States for this occupation:
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top
Metropolitan areas with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all Metropolitan areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:
| MSA |
Employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage |
Percent of MSA employment |
| Grand Junction, CO |
110 |
$23.91 |
$49,730 |
0.177% |
| Missoula, MT |
70 |
$30.64 |
$63,740 |
0.123% |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
40 |
$26.67 |
$55,480 |
0.088% |
| Madison, WI |
240 |
$29.87 |
$62,130 |
0.071% |
| Jackson, MS |
170 |
$25.71 |
$53,480 |
0.067% |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| MSA |
Employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage |
Percent of MSA employment |
| Holland-Grand Haven, MI |
(8) |
$45.49 |
$94,610 |
(8) |
| Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division |
60 |
$42.86 |
$89,140 |
0.011% |
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA |
40 |
$41.11 |
$85,520 |
0.007% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
70 |
$40.20 |
$83,610 |
0.008% |
| Anchorage, AK |
100 |
$39.57 |
$82,310 |
0.061% |
About May 2008 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia.
The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files (XLS).
Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2008 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2008 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2008 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order
List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order
Download May 2008 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: May 04, 2009
