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Natural Resource Economics

Types of Degrees Natural Resource Economics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Natural Resource Economics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	116
Master’s Degree	63
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Natural Resource Economics Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Natural Resource Economics emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Natural Resource Economics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Natural Resource Economics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Natural Resource Economics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Natural Resource Economics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Resource Economics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Resource Economics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Resource Economics graduates include:

• Microeconomics Professor
• Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Associate Professor
• Economic Adjunct Instructor
• Labor Economics Professor
• Economics Faculty Member
• Economics Lecturer
• Finance Professor
• Transportation Economics Teacher
• Labor Economics Teacher
• Lecturer
• Macroeconomics Professor
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor

What Can You Do With a Natural Resource Economics Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Natural Resource Economics commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	2.9%	$69,831	$55,613–$84,048

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Natural Resource Economics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.8%
Doctoral degree	33.2%
Master’s degree	11.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.7%
Some college courses	2.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Resource Economics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.3% of Natural Resource Economics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	111	60.3%
Men	73	39.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Natural Resource Economics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	117	63.6%
Asian	5	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	14	7.6%
Black or African American	7	3.8%
Two or More Races	7	3.8%
Race Unknown	5	2.7%
International Students	29	15.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Resource Economics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Natural Resource Economics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,496
4 years	$52,434
5 years	$59,221

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,221 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Natural Resource Economics Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Natural Resource Economics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Natural Resource Economics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Natural Resource Economics graduates earn a median of $52,434 four years after completion — roughly 38% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	3,090
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General	1,626
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other	362
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management	355
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services	224
Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism	171
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	85
Energy and Environmental Policy	83
Bioenergy	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.