I am looking to majoring in a natural resource degree (ecology, biology, forestry, geology, etc.) but am unsure which to go into. Many natural resource jobs can be very competitive and I am reluctant to go into a field if i can’t find a job with the degree. Ideally, I would like to work outdoors, and be payed well (not a ton, just a comfortable amount to get by, and to be able to save). I would like to get a degree that is useful for a wide variety of jobs, and find jobs that have have a demand for this degree. It would also be nice to have a degree that if i couldn’t find a well paying outdoor job, i could find an alternative job that would get me by and get me out of college debt. I know I described a perfect scenario but does anyone have any suggestions? It doesn’t need to be a job requiring a degree either, as long as it is outside for at least part of the time and pays reasonably well. I am not afraid of working hard for less money as long as i eventually move up the latter. I just want a stable job working in nature. Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated!
Most jobs in the field are competitive and do not pay well at all. Likewise, having a bachelor’s degree by itself is not a very good prospect. Pretty much the only reliable jobs in the field require PhDs, and even then they’re fairly competitive.
You need to tell us more. Skill at operating heavy machinery can provide outside jobs that are relatively well paying. As with anything, there are drawbacks including that jobs can be cyclical.
You are correct that many of the jobs you listed can be competitive and a degree doesn’t guarantee work in that field.
If you’re still looking for information, this website might help you: US Dept. of Labor, Occupational Outlook BLS.gov/ooh/ includes salary information, job outlook, work environment, education needed for an entry-level job and more.
@drew44 Look on this specific page of the link that was provided^. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/home.htm. If you look in the wrong section (Farming, Fishing, and Forestry) - that’s for jobs that don’t require degrees so the salaries listed are lower. The website does provide very helpful information (thanks @FlippersMom ).
My husband and I have worked in the natural resource management field for over 30 years. We got forestry degrees. We made very good salaries during the latter half of our careers, but that required being willing to relocate several times for promotion opportunities. We also spent several years in temporary/seasonal positions after we graduated from college before we were able to acquire permanent positions with benefits. The people that we went to college with that didn’t have patience or a willingness to relocate (probably about 75%) got jobs in other fields.
In any case, the link provided will give you an idea of the job potential of various outdoor occupations (just be sure to look at the total number of existing jobs in addition to the expected 10 year % increase in positions. I noted one that had 1,500 existing jobs while another had 90,000 - so a projected increase of 10% over 10 years for both would be 15 jobs/year in comparison to 900 jobs/year.
If you’re willing to accept lower pay in order to work outdoors, then your job prospects go up because there are “technician” jobs in the fields that you’re interested in that don’t require a degree (but having one is a plus). Look at this federal government employment website for an example of the variety of positions available that don’t require a degree: https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/?d=AG&d=IN&k=technician&p=14
I scanned the list and found technician positions/salaries in the fields of:
Wildland firefighting (range or forestry technician)
Biological science (plants, weeds, invasive species, wildlife, fish, etc.)
Cartographic (GIS skills)
Hydrologic (measuring stream flow etc.)
Archeologic
Range and Forestry - various including wilderness/trails
Soils
Check the qualifications required for a few of them (click on them and scroll down) to get an idea of the type of major or college courses you need - they range from 2 years (60 hours of college with 12 hours of specific courses) to a four year degree in a wide variety of fields with a requirement for a certain number/hours of specific courses.
Most State governments have similar types of positions, both professional and technical.
Hope that helps.