NRCS Careers

Soil Conservationist | Soil Conservation Technician | Soil Scientist | Rangeland Management Specialist | Biologist | Engineer  Engineering Technician | Other Careers

Soil Conservationist
As an NRCS soil conservationist, you'll spend most of your times 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 preserve wildlife habitat

You'll 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 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, biology, 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 2 semester hours in crops or plant science.

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 stripping systems.  You'll make follow-up visits to check the progress and results of the practices and update the land user's conservation programs.

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 soils.  You'll sample soils and evaluate soil quality, work with watershed information and water quality reports, and record changes in land use patterns.

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 physics, and soil fertility.

Rangeland Management Specialist
As an NRCS rangeland management specialist, you'll help plan grazing 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 field of study in range management or a related disciple that includes at least 42 semester hours in a combination of plant, animal, soil sciences, and natural resource 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'll suggest ways to manage fish and wildlife populations and restore habitat.

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

Engineer
The NRCS employs 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 bank and erosion control measures and water supply systems; designing waste management systems and concrete and earthen damns; 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, designing, 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 may 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 a construction, layout, and inspection.  A sound knowledge of basic mathematics is desirable.

NOTE:  Qualifications can also 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: