Pay by state · 53 states
Conservation Scientist Salary by State (2026)
Conservation Scientists earn the most in District of Columbia at $99,400 a year and the least in U.S. Virgin Islands at $50,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $73,010. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $99,400District of Columbia
- National median
- $73,010BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $50,080U.S. Virgin Islands
- States reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Conservation Scientist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of conservation scientists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $99,400 | $77,060 | $119,100 | 110 | $90,445 |
| 2 | COColorado | $84,820 | $67,770 | $108,540 | 1,230 | $82,308 |
| 3 | MDMaryland | $83,290 | $66,850 | $107,520 | 470 | $79,355 |
| 4 | IDIdaho | $81,330 | $61,110 | $86,260 | 300 | $85,168 |
| 5 | WYWyoming | $81,310 | $63,810 | $91,170 | 150 | $87,722 |
| 6 | OROregon | $80,790 | $70,450 | $104,690 | 1,020 | $78,163 |
| 7 | LALouisiana | $80,190 | $49,990 | $106,330 | 190 | $90,911 |
| 8 | CACalifornia | $79,810 | $64,310 | $104,990 | 2,110 | $72,083 |
| 9 | WIWisconsin | $79,540 | $63,130 | $93,200 | 970 | $84,532 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $79,260 | $66,080 | $103,110 | 290 | $77,433 |
| 11 | UTUtah | $78,850 | $63,490 | $100,420 | 410 | $79,756 |
| 12 | MAMassachusetts | $78,740 | $65,210 | $92,060 | 760 | $74,454 |
| 13 | WAWashington | $78,450 | $62,240 | $88,790 | 1,270 | $73,309 |
| 14 | VAVirginia | $77,380 | $60,190 | $108,890 | 480 | $76,535 |
| 15 | NDNorth Dakota | $77,280 | $60,090 | $95,030 | 340 | $86,871 |
| 16 | ALAlabama | $77,000 | $60,300 | $101,500 | 110 | $86,689 |
| 17 | NYNew York | $76,990 | $58,670 | $93,350 | 640 | $71,339 |
| 18 | NMNew Mexico | $76,800 | $56,620 | $94,520 | 330 | $83,286 |
| 19 | NENebraska | $76,400 | $63,130 | $94,500 | 220 | $84,792 |
| 20 | SDSouth Dakota | $76,400 | $61,110 | $88,710 | 360 | $86,244 |
| 21 | RIRhode Island | $76,130 | $64,490 | $103,710 | 60 | $74,433 |
| 22 | MEMaine | $75,900 | $59,180 | $89,960 | 290 | $78,207 |
| 23 | NHNew Hampshire | $74,650 | $53,380 | $88,460 | 130 | $71,665 |
| 24 | MTMontana | $73,920 | $57,530 | $88,710 | 560 | $78,102 |
| 25 | CTConnecticut | $73,860 | $70,920 | $82,050 | 140 | $71,287 |
| 26 | ARArkansas | $73,320 | $61,110 | $96,100 | 230 | $84,337 |
| 27 | NVNevada | $73,030 | $48,920 | $92,870 | 210 | $73,045 |
| 28 | KYKentucky | $71,980 | $53,380 | $96,100 | 180 | $79,837 |
| 29 | MNMinnesota | $71,280 | $51,630 | $88,670 | 770 | $72,277 |
| 30 | PRPuerto Rico | $71,280 | $49,940 | $91,560 | 50 | N/A |
| 31 | OKOklahoma | $71,270 | $51,160 | $86,260 | 310 | $81,133 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $70,500 | $53,080 | $94,520 | 250 | $76,739 |
| 33 | VTVermont | $70,130 | $58,140 | $82,160 | 100 | $71,592 |
| 34 | WVWest Virginia | $69,910 | $47,740 | $91,560 | 160 | $78,114 |
| 35 | ILIllinois | $69,590 | $51,630 | $95,820 | 730 | $69,619 |
| 36 | GAGeorgia | $69,240 | $54,910 | $97,470 | 360 | $71,906 |
| 37 | IAIowa | $69,240 | $60,070 | $81,730 | 610 | $78,895 |
| 38 | TXTexas | $68,620 | $58,470 | $81,310 | 1,970 | $70,701 |
| 39 | KSKansas | $67,200 | $50,660 | $86,260 | 220 | $74,610 |
| 40 | AZArizona | $66,750 | $53,510 | $81,850 | 410 | $66,301 |
| 41 | HIHawaii | $65,740 | $47,100 | $95,180 | 220 | $59,790 |
| 42 | INIndiana | $64,570 | $49,000 | $84,070 | 430 | $69,185 |
| 43 | NCNorth Carolina | $64,460 | $50,300 | $81,920 | 540 | $68,337 |
| 44 | NJNew Jersey | $64,020 | $50,540 | $80,930 | 500 | $58,839 |
| 45 | DEDelaware | $63,850 | $52,990 | $74,180 | 80 | $63,973 |
| 46 | MIMichigan | $63,500 | $52,980 | $89,230 | 820 | $65,997 |
| 47 | OHOhio | $63,160 | $50,190 | $78,350 | 680 | $68,079 |
| 48 | MOMissouri | $63,130 | $50,560 | $79,920 | 600 | $69,513 |
| 49 | PAPennsylvania | $61,480 | $48,310 | $76,500 | 900 | $63,010 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $59,510 | $49,940 | $78,850 | 470 | $68,439 |
| 51 | SCSouth Carolina | $52,310 | $42,270 | $69,020 | 300 | $55,798 |
| 52 | FLFlorida | $51,130 | $40,830 | $72,820 | 950 | $49,442 |
| 53 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $50,080 | $50,080 | $50,080 | 40 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Conservation Scientists, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $99,400, while Louisiana leads once prices are taken into account at $90,911.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Conservation Scientist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Conservation Scientists the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Conservation Scientists at $99,400 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Colorado ($84,820) and Maryland ($83,290).
Which state pays Conservation Scientists the least?
U.S. Virgin Islands reports the lowest median for Conservation Scientists at $50,080 a year, $49,320 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Conservation Scientists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Louisiana first at $90,911 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $80,190. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.