Conservation Scientists pay in the U.S.
$77,130avg. a year
$37.08 an hour · 25,950 employed
Conservation Scientists in the U.S. earn an average of $77,130 a year and a median of $73,010. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($99,050) and lowest in South Carolina ($60,250).
$73,010Median pay
$37.08Average hourly
+12%Avg. pay since 2020
25,950Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for conservation scientists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1110 jobs
District of Columbia
$99,050
$47.62 an hour
2480 jobs
Virginia
$92,610
$44.53 an hour
360 jobs
Rhode Island
$92,230
$44.34 an hour
4470 jobs
Maryland
$89,820
$43.18 an hour
51,020 jobs
Oregon
$89,550
$43.05 an hour
61,230 jobs
Colorado
$89,530
$43.04 an hour
7290 jobs
Alaska
$88,860
$42.72 an hour
82,110 jobs
California
$88,030
$42.32 an hour
9760 jobs
Massachusetts
$82,710
$39.76 an hour
10190 jobs
Louisiana
$81,950
$39.40 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Conservation Scientists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $72k$72k–$76k$76k–$81k$81k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $108,770 | $52.29 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,130 | $47.66 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $97,290 | $46.77 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $95,280 | $45.81 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $92,500 | $44.47 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,380 | $44.41 |
| Bend, OR | $88,510 | $42.55 |
| Anchorage, AK | $87,460 | $42.05 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,020
- Soil and Plant Scientists$87,720
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Conservation Scientists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $80,870 | $77,000 | 110 |
| Alaska | $88,860 | $79,260 | 290 |
| Arizona | $71,390 | $66,750 | 410 |
| Arkansas | $77,620 | $73,320 | 230 |
| California | $88,030 | $79,810 | 2,110 |
| Colorado | $89,530 | $84,820 | 1,230 |
| Connecticut | $80,940 | $73,860 | 140 |
| Delaware | $66,560 | $63,850 | 80 |
| District of Columbia | $99,050 | $99,400 | 110 |
| Florida | $61,760 | $51,130 | 950 |
| Georgia | $81,120 | $69,240 | 360 |
| Hawaii | $76,190 | $65,740 | 220 |
| Idaho | $76,560 | $81,330 | 300 |
| Illinois | $75,750 | $69,590 | 730 |
| Indiana | $68,990 | $64,570 | 430 |
| Iowa | $71,620 | $69,240 | 610 |
| Kansas | $72,850 | $67,200 | 220 |
| Kentucky | $74,970 | $71,980 | 180 |
| Louisiana | $81,950 | $80,190 | 190 |
| Maine | $77,100 | $75,900 | 290 |
| Maryland | $89,820 | $83,290 | 470 |
| Massachusetts | $82,710 | $78,740 | 760 |
| Michigan | $74,140 | $63,500 | 820 |
| Minnesota | $74,570 | $71,280 | 770 |
| Mississippi | $66,940 | $59,510 | 470 |
| Missouri | $67,070 | $63,130 | 600 |
| Montana | $76,360 | $73,920 | 560 |
| Nebraska | $77,930 | $76,400 | 220 |
| Nevada | $72,640 | $73,030 | 210 |
| New Hampshire | $74,300 | $74,650 | 130 |
| New Jersey | $69,610 | $64,020 | 500 |
| New Mexico | $79,030 | $76,800 | 330 |
| New York | $80,440 | $76,990 | 640 |
| North Carolina | $72,190 | $64,460 | 540 |
| North Dakota | $79,540 | $77,280 | 340 |
| Ohio | $66,660 | $63,160 | 680 |
| Oklahoma | $72,090 | $71,270 | 310 |
| Oregon | $89,550 | $80,790 | 1,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,760 | $61,480 | 900 |
| Rhode Island | $92,230 | $76,130 | 60 |
| South Carolina | $60,250 | $52,310 | 300 |
| South Dakota | $76,060 | $76,400 | 360 |
| Tennessee | $75,250 | $70,500 | 250 |
| Texas | $71,060 | $68,620 | 1,970 |
| Utah | $80,840 | $78,850 | 410 |
| Vermont | $73,780 | $70,130 | 100 |
| Virginia | $92,610 | $77,380 | 480 |
| Washington | $81,300 | $78,450 | 1,270 |
| West Virginia | $75,350 | $69,910 | 160 |
| Wisconsin | $77,760 | $79,540 | 970 |
| Wyoming | $78,740 | $81,310 | 150 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
$87,190
650 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$74,430
590 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$108,770
490 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$80,630
480 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$97,290
450 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$70,780
430 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$99,130
410 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$65,170
370 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do conservation scientists make?
The average is $77,130 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $73,010 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $37.08, and the median is $35.10 an hour.
Which state pays conservation scientists the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $99,050 a year. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $108,770.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $47,550 a year, and the top 10% earn over $110,410.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.