| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
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| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and private land use, soil conservation, air and water pollution control, and endangered species protection. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Write research proposals and grant applications to obtain private or public funding for environmental and economic studies. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Develop programs or policy recommendations to promote sustainability and sustainable development. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Teach courses in environmental economics. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental and economic data. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Develop environmental research project plans, including information on budgets, goals, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Monitor or analyze market and environmental trends. |
Plant Science Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Plant Science Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For science-minded people interested in plant biology and agricultural research rather than landscaping. Use the tools below to see which plant science roles fit your background and goals.
This major focuses on the biology and genetics of plants for research and agricultural production, distinct from horticulture's landscape focus. Use the tools below to explore Plant Science-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Field Research Technician, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Plant Scientist or Agricultural Research Manager. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Certified Crop Advisor, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Plant Science careers/jobs, (2) Find Plant Science job listings, (3) Prepare for Plant Science careers, and (4) Provide Plant Science career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Plant Science careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Plant Science Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Plant Science careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Plant Science, so relevant Plant Science jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Plant Science Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Plant Science Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Plant Science careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 176 Plant Science Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
43 Plant Science careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Plant Science-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Plant Science-Related Jobs |
51 Plant Science careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Plant Science-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Plant Science-Related Jobs |
52 Plant Science careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Plant Science-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Plant Science-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 176 specific Plant Science job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Environmental Economists.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Environmental Economists
Description: Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Environmental Economists":
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Interpret indicators to ascertain the overall health of an environment. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Identify and recommend environmentally friendly business practices. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Providing Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Advise others about environmental management or conservation. | |
| Analyze market conditions or trends. | |
| Appraise environmental impact of regulations or policies. | |
| Collect environmental data or samples. | |
| Communicate results of environmental research. | |
| Develop environmental research methods. | |
| Develop environmental sustainability plans or projects. | |
| Develop mathematical models of environmental conditions. | |
| Forecast economic, political, or social trends. | |
| Identify sustainable business practices. | |
| Interpret research or operational data. | |
| Monitor market conditions or trends. | |
| Plan environmental research. | |
| Prepare information or documentation related to legal or regulatory matters. | |
| Prepare proposal documents or grant applications. | |
| Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations. | |
| Promote environmental sustainability or conservation initiatives. | |
| Research environmental impact of industrial or development activities. | |
| Research impacts of environmental conservation initiatives. | |
| Teach classes in area of specialization. | |
| Teach social science courses at the college level. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Instructing: Teaching others how to do something. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Management of Financial Resources: Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Advise others on environmental sustainability or green practices. |
| Activity: Analyze data to improve operations. |
| Activity: Analyze market or industry conditions. |
| Activity: Assess characteristics or impacts of regulations or policies. |
| Activity: Collect environmental or biological samples. |
| Activity: Communicate environmental or sustainability information. |
| Activity: Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources. |
| Activity: Develop research plans or methodologies. |
| Activity: Develop scientific or mathematical theories or models. |
| Activity: Identify business or organizational opportunities. |
| Activity: Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities. |
| Activity: Monitor external affairs, trends, or events. |
| Activity: Prepare legal or regulatory documents. |
| Activity: Prepare proposals or grant applications. |
| Activity: Present research or technical information. |
| Activity: Promote products, services, or programs. |
| Activity: Teach academic or vocational subjects. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
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| Emerging Tech Skills | |||||||||||
| Analytical or scientific software: | |||||||||||
| IBM SPSS Statistics SAS The MathWorks MATLAB | |||||||||||
| Business intelligence and data analysis software: | |||||||||||
| Tableau | |||||||||||
| Data base user interface and query software: | |||||||||||
| Microsoft Access Microsoft SQL Server MySQL | |||||||||||
| Development environment software: | |||||||||||
| C Microsoft Visual Basic Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA Microsoft Visual Studio | |||||||||||
| Electronic mail software: | |||||||||||
| Microsoft Outlook | |||||||||||
| Geographic information system: | |||||||||||
| ESRI ArcGIS software | |||||||||||
| Object or component oriented development software: | |||||||||||
| C# C++ Python | |||||||||||
| Office suite software: | |||||||||||
| Microsoft Office software | |||||||||||
| Presentation software: | |||||||||||
| Microsoft PowerPoint | |||||||||||
| Spreadsheet software: | |||||||||||
| Microsoft Excel | |||||||||||
| Word processing software: | |||||||||||
| Microsoft Word | |||||||||||
| General Software Tools | |||||||||||
| Analytical or scientific software (scroll table below): | |||||||||||
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| Data base user interface and query software: | |||||||||||
| Structure query language SQL | |||||||||||
| Development environment software: | |||||||||||
| Formula translation/translator FORTRAN | |||||||||||
| Geographic information system: | |||||||||||
| Geographic information system GIS software | |||||||||||
| Internet browser software: | |||||||||||
| Web browser software |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed |
| Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. |
| Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). |
| Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. |
| These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 44.4 (%) | Level of Education: Doctoral Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 40.7 (%) | Level of Education: Master's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 11.1 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.7 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Doctoral Training |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 40.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 25.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 11.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 11.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 7.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 8 years, up to and including 10 years |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Professional Associations
| Professional Associations These associations connect people who work in this occupation or related fields. How can you start using these associations to learn more, build your network, or find mentoring opportunities? |
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Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE)
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Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Environmental Economists". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Environmental Economists
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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