Prevailing Wage for Conservation Scientists
The prevailing wage for Conservation Scientists is set by the DOL using four experience levels tied to regional Occupational Employment Statistics surveys. Whether your offer is for a Conservationist, Environmental Analyst, or Land Resource Specialist role, the wage floor shifts significantly by city, so the same position can clear the threshold in one metro and fall short in another.
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Entry-level professionals with limited experience, typically recent graduates performing routine tasks under close supervision. Work involves following established procedures with minimal independent judgment. Employers filing at Level 1 generally expect the hire to build foundational skills on the job.
Qualified professionals with moderate experience who can independently handle standard conservation projects. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Conservation Scientists, covering roles that apply professional knowledge without requiring advanced specialization or supervisory responsibility.
Experienced professionals who exercise significant independent judgment, lead technical components of larger projects, and may mentor junior staff. Roles at this level often involve developing conservation plans, conducting complex soil surveys, or advising land managers on resource protection strategies.
Fully competent senior professionals who direct programs, set technical standards, and hold recognized expertise in natural resource management or environmental quality science. These roles carry organization-wide responsibility and typically require extensive experience plus advanced credentials.
Prevailing Wage for Conservation Scientists by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Conservation Scientists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for mismatches between job title and SOC code
Titles like Environmental Analyst or Erosion Control Specialist can be filed under different SOC codes with lower prevailing wages. Confirm the LCA specifically references SOC 19-1031 so your offer is benchmarked against the Conservation Scientists floor, not a lower-paying category.
Account for field-work pay structures in your comparison
Conservation Scientists often receive per diem allowances, vehicle stipends, or project bonuses that do not count toward the prevailing wage under DOL rules. Compare your base salary alone against the applicable wage level floor, excluding these supplemental payments entirely.
Target federal agency hubs when negotiating level placement
Federal agencies and state natural resource departments concentrate Conservation Scientists in metros like Washington DC and Sacramento, where the L3 and L4 floors are substantially higher than the national median. If relocating to these hubs, verify your offer level reflects the local OES data, not a national average.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring Conservation Scientists
Migrate Mate shows which employers have actively sponsored Conservation Scientists and related environmental roles in the past, filtering by visa type and location. This helps you identify federal contractors and state agencies with real sponsorship track records before applying.
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Find Jobs for Conservation ScientistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-1031.00 alongside Conservation Scientists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Conservationist Prevailing Wage
Conservationist Prevailing Wage
Conservationist positions fall under SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Environmental Analyst Prevailing Wage
Environmental Analyst Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Environmental Analyst for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Environmental Quality Scientist Prevailing Wage
Environmental Quality Scientist Prevailing Wage
Environmental Quality Scientist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Erosion Control Specialist Prevailing Wage
Erosion Control Specialist Prevailing Wage
Erosion Control Specialist positions fall under SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Land Reclamation Specialist Prevailing Wage
Land Reclamation Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Land Reclamation Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Land Resource Specialist Prevailing Wage
Land Resource Specialist Prevailing Wage
Land Resource Specialist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Research Soil Scientist Prevailing Wage
Research Soil Scientist Prevailing Wage
Research Soil Scientist positions fall under SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Resource Conservation Specialist Prevailing Wage
Resource Conservation Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Resource Conservation Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Resource Conservationist Prevailing Wage
Resource Conservationist Prevailing Wage
Resource Conservationist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Soil Conservationist Prevailing Wage
Soil Conservationist Prevailing Wage
Soil Conservationist positions fall under SOC 19-1031.00 (Conservation Scientists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the DOL set the prevailing wage for Conservation Scientists?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For Conservation Scientists, the agency applies these regional wage distributions to four experience levels, producing location-specific floors that employers must meet or exceed on a certified Labor Condition Application before sponsoring an H-1B or related visa.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry-level hires under close supervision, Level 2 to qualified professionals working independently on standard tasks, Level 3 to experienced professionals exercising significant judgment or leading project components, and Level 4 to senior experts directing programs. To identify your level, compare your actual job duties, degree of supervision, and years of relevant experience against these DOL definitions. The level on the employer's LCA determines the minimum salary they must pay.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much by city?
DOL bases each area's wage floor on regional OES survey data reflecting local labor market conditions. Conservation Scientists in San Jose or Portland work in markets with higher overall compensation, so OES surveys there produce higher floors. Meanwhile, smaller metros in the Midwest or rural Pennsylvania show lower survey medians. The worksite-on-LCA rule means the floor that counts is the one for the specific city where you will physically work, not the employer's headquarters location.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot file a certified LCA with DOL or submit a visa petition to USCIS unless the offered wage meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. If the offer falls short, USCIS will deny the petition or DOL will deny LCA certification. For existing sponsored employees, paying below the LCA-certified wage can trigger back-wage liability and debarment from future sponsorship. The offer must be corrected before filing, not after.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Conservation Scientists in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 19-1031 for any metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and select the worksite area to see all four level wages based on current OES data. You can also review OFLC LCA disclosure data to see what wages employers have certified for Conservation Scientist roles in your target market. Migrate Mate complements this by showing which employers have actually sponsored the role so you can focus your search on companies with a real filing history.
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