Careers in the Natural Resources Conservation Service

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Conservation Careers

The NRCS offers career opportunities for folks who are still in college and for those who have already graduated. Here's an overview of some of those opportunities, along with information about what it takes to come on board:

Soil Conservationist

As an NRCS soil conservationist, you'll spend most of your time in the field working with farmers, ranchers, and other land users. You'll offer conservation planning and technical help to everyone from family farmers to local government officials. You'll suggest to them ways to conserve the soil, improve water quality, manage nutrients, and protect and improve wildlife habitat.

You will help teachers start outdoor laboratories for students. You'll give talks and present conservation demonstrations to clubs and organizations. You'll help people set local conservation priorities. You'll also provide outreach for NRCS programs, and plan, layout, design, and implement conservation practices.

Qualifications: A degree in a major field of study in soil conservation or a related agricultural or natural resource discipline, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural economics, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. You need 30 semester hours in natural science or agriculture, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12, you need at least 3 semester hours in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.

Rangeland Management Specialist

As an NRCS rangeland management specialist you'll help plan gazing systems that improve the quality of forage and other grazing land functions. You'll suggest ways to use grazing animals as tools to improve and sustain natural resources. You'll offer advice on water management or better ways to produce forage.

Whether landowners want to use their rangeland to support livestock, wildlife, recreation or a combination of these, you'll tailor conservation plans that will help landowners meet their goals.

Qualifications: A degree with a major field of study in range management or a related discipline that includes at least 42 semester hours in a combination of plant, animal, soil sciences, and natural resources management, with 18 semester hours in range management.

Biologist

As an NRCS biologist, you'll spend most of your time in the field working with private land owners, other agencies and units of government. You'll provide technical support on fish and wildlife habitat development or restoration. You will suggest ways to manage fish and wildlife populations and restore habitat.

Qualifications: A degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

Soil Conservation Technician

Soil conservation technicians assist soil conservationists. As a soil conservation technician, your most important job is working on the land with farmers, ranchers, and others. You'll show them how to install conservation practices and oversee the quality of those practices.

You'll perform engineering surveys and design standard conservation practices such as waterways, terraces, and contour stripcropping systems. You'll make follow-up visits to check the progress and results of the practices and update the land user's conservation program.

Qualifications: Knowledge of farm or ranch operations. Education or work experience that makes you familiar with conservation practices is desirable.

Soil Scientist

As an NRCS soil scientist, you'll map and classify soils. You'll identify problems such as wetness and erosion. You'll use aerial photographs to map soils and write soil descriptions and prepare other information about the soils. You'll sample soils and evaluate soil quality,

Qualifications: A degree in a major field of study in soil science or a related discipline. Your study must include 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.

Engineer

The NRCS employees a large number of engineers who have specialized skills in erosion control, water management, structural design, construction, hydraulics, soil mechanics, and environmental protection. We also employ those with general engineering skills.

Your job assignment may include establishing streambank and erosion control measures and water supply systems; designing waste management systems and concrete and earthen dams; and applying bioengineering principles to solve a host of natural resource problems. You may also become involved in helping communities recover from natural disasters.

Qualifications: A bachelor's degree in engineering. Specialties include agricultural, environmental, and civil engineering.

Engineering Technician

As an NRCS engineering technician, you'll be involved in planning, design, and construction work. You'll help with surveying the land, plotting notes, and laying out construction measures. You'll gather data, make computations, and prepare maps and cross sections of profiles. You will serve as a construction inspector on a wide variety of projects.

Qualifications: Have studied engineering in school, have experience on a survey crew running levels and transits, or have worked on construction, layout, and inspection. A sound knowledge of basic mathematics is desirable.

Note: Qualifications can be be met with a combination of experience and education that includes the coursework listed for each specialty.

Other Careers in Soil Conservation

The Natural Resources Conservation Service also offers careers for people trained in:

• Accounting
• Agricultural Economics
• Agronomy
• Aquatic Biology
• Business Administration
• Cartography
• Communications
• Computer Technology
• Forestry
• Geology
• Hydrology
• Landscape Architecture
• Plant Sciences
• Recreation
• Rural Sociology
• Watershed Management
• Wetland Science
• Wildlife Biology

To apply, you must be a U.S. citizen and fill out the Federal application OF-612, or a resume. Include any conservation training or experience, society or club memberships, and/or general life experiences that may have provided you with natural resources conservation knowledge. For entry level positions, please include an unofficial copy of your transcript.

For job openings and more information, you may contact any USDA Service Center.

Also, visit the USAJobs web site for more information about Federal employment and the application process. You may want to go directly to the search pages to search for specific careers:

1. In the Keyword box, enter the career you are interested in, for example, soil conservationist.
2. Next, select your geographic location.
3. Then answer the job category question as appropriate.
4. Indicate a salary or pay grade range.
5. Indicate eligibility.
6. Select options for results display.
7. Click "Search for Jobs" button.

You will be taken to another page with the search results. If the search results in 0 records, try another keyword, category, etc. And, remember, although there may not be any vacancies on a particular week, keep checking. Jobs are posted on every Monday of the week.

You may submit a resume online: OPM's On-Line Application. For job application forms click here.

Latest Revision Date: April 15, 2008