Studies how wildfire and prescribed fire shape forests, grasslands and wildlife, and helps land managers use fire safely. BLS does not publish separate figures for conservation scientists; it counts them within conservation scientist (SOC 19-1031), whose median pay is $73,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 19-1031
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Fire Ecologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $73,010a year, or $35.10/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $110K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.3%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,10027,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202527.7K
- Projected 203529.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 27.7K Projected 2035 29.2K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate4.4%
- Bachelor's69.6%
- Post-bacc certificate8.7%
- Master's13%
- Doctorate4.4%
Highest education held by conservation scientists Segment Value Certificate 4.4% Bachelor's 69.6% Post-bacc certificate 8.7% Master's 13% Doctorate 4.4%
Also advertised as: Wildland Fire Ecologist, Fire Effects Specialist, Prescribed Fire Ecologist, Fire Effects Monitor, Fire Science Specialist.
Pay
How much do Conservation Scientists make?
Every fire ecologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$73,010
Middle half earn $57,700 to $91,560
- 10th
- $47,550
- 25th
- $57,700
- 75th
- $91,560
- 90th
- $110,410
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,550 |
| 25th | $57,700 |
| Median | $73,010 |
| 75th | $91,560 |
| 90th | $110,410 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $73,010
- Median hourly wage
- $35.10/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $77,130
- People employed
- 25,950
Versus all US occupations
At $73,010, Conservation Scientists earn 43% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,030 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 11% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $110,410 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,550, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($99,400), but once local prices are taken into account Louisiana leads at $90,911 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Conservation Scientists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $99,400 | $90,445 | 110 |
| 2Colorado | $84,820 | $82,308 | 1,230 |
| 3Maryland | $83,290 | $79,355 | 470 |
| 4Idaho | $81,330 | $85,168 | 300 |
| 5Wyoming | $81,310 | $87,722 | 150 |
| 6Oregon | $80,790 | $78,163 | 1,020 |
| 7Louisiana | $80,190 | $90,911 | 190 |
| 8California | $79,810 | $72,083 | 2,110 |
| 9Wisconsin | $79,540 | $84,532 | 970 |
| 10Alaska | $79,260 | $77,433 | 290 |
Job outlook
Is Fire Ecologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Conservation Scientists | +5.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Conservation Scientists to change 5.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,100 openings are projected each year, 7.6% of the 27,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Fire Ecologist
A bachelor's degree in forestry, ecology, natural resources or rangeland science is typical, and research roles generally require a master's or PhD. Federal wildland fire training through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, such as the basic firefighter courses and the fire effects monitor qualification, opens fieldwork on active burns.
The Association for Fire Ecology offers the Wildland Fire Ecologist and Senior Wildland Fire Ecologist certifications based on education and experience, and certifies academic fire programs. Seasonal fire crew or fire effects monitoring jobs are a common way into the field.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as conservation scientists.
- Bachelor's Degree69.6%
- Master's Degree13%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate8.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4.4%
- Doctoral Degree4.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 69.6% |
| Master's Degree | 13% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 8.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 4.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Fire Ecologist do?
Fire ecologists study the role of fire in landscapes. They measure fuels such as dead wood and grass, monitor how plants and soils respond after wildfires and prescribed burns, and reconstruct fire history from tree rings and charcoal. That knowledge guides how land managers plan prescribed burns, thinning and other fuel treatments.
Many fire ecologists work for the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, state forestry agencies, The Nature Conservancy and universities. Some serve on fire crews or as fire effects monitors during burns, and some help write burn plans and assess post-fire recovery needs.
Day-to-day tasks
- Measure fuel loads and vegetation in monitoring plots
- Monitor fire behavior and effects during prescribed burns
- Assess vegetation and soil recovery after wildfires
- Reconstruct fire history from tree rings and other records
- Help write prescribed burn plans and fuel treatment plans
- Analyze monitoring data and report findings to managers
- Train field crews in fire effects monitoring methods
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Fieldwork happens in forests, grasslands and shrublands, often in remote and rugged terrain, heat and smoke. Fire assignments can involve long days and camping. Off season, ecologists analyze data, write reports and plan treatments in offices. Seasonal fieldwork is common early in a career, and permanent roles add planning, analysis and coordination with fire managers.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Writing3.5
- Science3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Active Learning3.3
- Monitoring3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Science | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Persuasion3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Fire Ecologist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRC) built on O*NET's Conservation Scientist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Fire Ecologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Investigative5.8
- Realistic5.2
- Conventional4.2
- Enterprising3.2
- Social2.9
- Artistic2.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Fire Ecologist
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health
$82,220median a year
Most earn $53K to $140K
+6.1%Bachelor's - Life, Physical, and Social Science
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with conservation scientists highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Fire Ecologist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Fire Ecologist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Fire Ecologist appears on
Questions
Fire Ecologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Conservation Scientists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for conservation scientists. It counts them within conservation scientist, whose median pay is $73,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $57,700 and $91,560, and the top 10% earn $110,410 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Fire Ecologist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Conservation Scientists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 69.6% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Fire Ecologist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.3% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Fire Ecologist do?
Fire ecologists study the role of fire in landscapes. A typical task: measure fuel loads and vegetation in monitoring plots. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Conservation Scientists the most?
The highest state medians for Conservation Scientists are District of Columbia ($99,400), Colorado ($84,820), Maryland ($83,290) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Louisiana moves to the top at $90,911.
What personality type suits a Fire Ecologist?
O*NET scores Conservation Scientists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.