Conservation Scientists vs Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: $73K vs $82K Median Pay

Conservation Scientists vs Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: what changes?

Consider Conservation Scientists if you want to manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. Consider Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health if you would rather conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Conservation Scientists and Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Conservation Scientists

National median pay (2025): $73,010
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,100

Know before you choose

Operating or riding in vehicles is a recurring part of the work rather than an occasional trip.

See the full Conservation Scientists brief

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

National median pay (2025): $82,220
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 7,300

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health brief

How the national numbers differ

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has the edge on annual openings

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is at 7,300 annual openings, compared with 2,100 annual openings for Conservation Scientists.

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has the edge on median pay

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is at $82,220, compared with $73,010 for Conservation Scientists.

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has the edge on projected growth

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is at 6.1% projected growth, compared with 5.3% projected growth for Conservation Scientists.

50.9/ 100

Conservation Scientists

64.1/ 100

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Conservation Scientists vs Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Dimension	Conservation Scientists	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Median pay (2025)	$73,010	$82,220
Pay percentile	62.8 percentile	74.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	5.3%	6.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,100	7,300
2025 employment	27,700	93,400
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Conservation Scientists brief Read Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health brief

Conservation Scientists vs Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Conservation Scientists

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

How the national numbers differ

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has the edge on annual openings

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has the edge on median pay

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has the edge on projected growth

Conservation Scientists vs Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Try another comparison

Conservation Scientists vs Animal Scientists

Conservation Scientists vs Microbiologists

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health vs Forensic Science Technicians

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health vs Microbiologists