Conservation Scientists Salary
Conservation Scientists in St. Louis, MO-IL make a median of $62,390 a year, or about $30 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $65,612 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 29.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $62K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About conservation scientists
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for conservation scientists in St. Louis runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $73K. Rent runs $1,218/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for conservation scientists in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City | $56K | $64K |
| Kansas City | $63K | $68K |
| Springfield | $66K | $75K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $63K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level conservation scientists (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Conservation Scientists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Conservation Scientists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $99K | +36% | 110 |
| Colorado | $85K | +16% | 1,230 |
| Maryland | $83K | +14% | 470 |
| Idaho | $81K | +11% | 300 |
| Wyoming | $81K | +11% | 150 |
| Oregon | $81K | +11% | 1,020 |
| Louisiana | $80K | +10% | 190 |
| California | $80K | +9% | 2,110 |
| Wisconsin | $80K | +9% | 970 |
| Alaska | $79K | +9% | 290 |
| Utah | $79K | +8% | 410 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +8% | 760 |
| Washington | $78K | +7% | 1,270 |
| Virginia | $77K | +6% | 480 |
| North Dakota | $77K | +6% | 340 |
| Alabama | $77K | +5% | 110 |
| New York | $77K | +5% | 640 |
| New Mexico | $77K | +5% | 330 |
| Nebraska | $76K | +5% | 220 |
| South Dakota | $76K | +5% | 360 |
| Rhode Island | $76K | +4% | 60 |
| Maine | $76K | +4% | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $75K | +2% | 130 |
| Montana | $74K | +1% | 560 |
| Connecticut | $74K | +1% | 140 |
| Arkansas | $73K | +0% | 230 |
| Nevada | $73K | +0% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $72K | -1% | 180 |
| Minnesota | $71K | -2% | 770 |
| Oklahoma | $71K | -2% | 310 |
| Tennessee | $71K | -3% | 250 |
| Vermont | $70K | -4% | 100 |
| West Virginia | $70K | -4% | 160 |
| Illinois | $70K | -5% | 730 |
| Iowa | $69K | -5% | 610 |
| Georgia | $69K | -5% | 360 |
| Texas | $69K | -6% | 1,970 |
| Kansas | $67K | -8% | 220 |
| Arizona | $67K | -9% | 410 |
| Hawaii | $66K | -10% | 220 |
| Indiana | $65K | -12% | 430 |
| North Carolina | $64K | -12% | 540 |
| New Jersey | $64K | -12% | 500 |
| Delaware | $64K | -13% | 80 |
| Michigan | $64K | -13% | 820 |
| Ohio | $63K | -13% | 680 |
| Missouri | $63K | -14% | 600 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -16% | 900 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -18% | 470 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -28% | 300 |
| Florida | $51K | -30% | 950 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track conservation scientists salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a conservation scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 29.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for conservation scientists in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new conservation scientists typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,366/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is conservation scientist a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $62K here vs. $73K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for conservation scientists?
St. Louis pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — below the national median.
How much do conservation scientists make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $62,390 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,430, and experienced conservation scientists can clear $105,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,166/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 29.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a conservation scientists salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median conservation scientists salary is worth about $65,612 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do conservation scientists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.