Protecting wild places and wild animals: national parks, wildlife refuges, rangelands, and the scientists, rangers, and wardens who look after them.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
National Park Superintendent: Runs an entire national park, state park system, or wildlife refuge, from rangers and roads to wildlife and visitors. Typical pay $135k.
Conservation Nonprofit Director: Leads a conservation organization that buys and protects land, restores habitats, or advocates for wildlife. Typical pay $115k.
Wildlife Veterinarian: Treats wild animals and studies wildlife diseases, from darting bighorn sheep to tracking bird flu. Typical pay $110k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Wildlife Biologist: Studies wild animals and their habitats to manage populations and protect endangered species. Typical pay $72k.
Game Warden: A law enforcement officer for nature: enforces hunting and fishing laws and protects wildlife. Typical pay $66k.
Park Ranger (Law Enforcement): Protects parks and visitors: patrols, emergency medical response, search and rescue, and law enforcement. Typical pay $60k.
Range Conservationist: Manages the vast grasslands and shrublands of the West, balancing cattle grazing, wildlife, and fire. Typical pay $68k.
Soil Conservationist (NRCS): Helps farmers and ranchers protect soil and water using conservation practices, often with federal funding. Typical pay $68k.
Restoration Ecologist: Brings damaged ecosystems back to life: replanting prairies, reconnecting rivers, and rebuilding wetlands. Typical pay $70k.
Invasive Species Biologist: Fights invaders like Burmese pythons, zebra mussels, and kudzu that wreck native ecosystems. Typical pay $62k.
Land Protection Specialist: Works with landowners to permanently protect farms, forests, and ranches from development through legal agreements. Typical pay $60k.
Conservation GIS Specialist: Makes maps and analyzes satellite and drone imagery to track habitat, wildlife movement, and deforestation. Typical pay $68k.
State Park Manager: Runs a state park, overseeing rangers, campgrounds, trails, budgets, and visitor safety. Typical pay $72k.
Nature Center Director: Runs a nature center that teaches kids and families about local wildlife, plants, and ecosystems. Typical pay $65k.
Hunter Education Coordinator: Runs a state program that teaches safe, ethical hunting and recruits new hunters and anglers. Typical pay $60k.
Preserve Land Steward: Takes care of nature preserves by removing invasive plants, running prescribed burns, and maintaining trails. Typical pay $55k.
Starter: fastest way in
Park Naturalist / Interpretive Ranger: Teaches visitors about nature and history through guided hikes, campfire talks, and exhibits. Typical pay $45k.
Wildlife Technician: Collects field data for wildlife studies: trapping, tagging, counting, and tracking animals. Typical pay $42k.
Wildlife Rehabilitator: Nurses injured and orphaned wild animals back to health and releases them into the wild. Typical pay $36k.
Trail Crew Worker: Builds and repairs hiking trails in parks and wilderness, often camping out for weeks. Typical pay $36k.
Wildlife Damage Management Specialist: Solves conflicts between people and wildlife, like keeping birds away from airplanes or coyotes away from livestock. Typical pay $52k.
Park Maintenance Worker: Keeps parks clean, safe, and working: mowing, fixing picnic shelters, clearing trails, and cleaning restrooms. Typical pay $39k.
Park Entrance Station Ranger: Greets thousands of visitors a day at the gate of a national or state park, collecting fees, handing out maps and answering every kind of question. Typical pay $36k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.