How long does it take to become a conservation scientist?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do conservation scientists make?

The US median is $73,010 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a conservation scientist?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become a conservation scientist?

564 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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How to become a conservation scientist

Science · SOC 19-1031

$73,010US median pay, 2025

+5.3%Projected growth, 2025–35

2,100Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work as a conservation scientist

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Sustainability Studies	CIP 30.3301	213
Natural Resources/Conservation, General	CIP 03.0101	121
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management	CIP 03.0601	85
Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture	CIP 01.0308	72
Ecology	CIP 26.1301	63
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General	CIP 03.0201	62
Environmental Biology	CIP 26.1305	54
Forestry, General	CIP 03.0501	43
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	CIP 26.1310	41
Geography and Environmental Studies	CIP 30.4401	39
Conservation Biology	CIP 26.1307	35
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management	CIP 03.0205	26
Range Science and Management	CIP 01.1106	23
Forest Sciences and Biology	CIP 03.0502	20
Forest Management/Forest Resources Management	CIP 03.0506	19
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	CIP 26.1399	15
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	CIP 03.0206	12

See the 564 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a conservation scientist?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do conservation scientists make?: The US median is $73,010 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a conservation scientist?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become a conservation scientist?: 564 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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