Naturalist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Park Naturalists

O*NET-SOC 19-1031.03

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Median pay

$73,010

BLS May 2025 · broader occupation

Data Government data groups this job as Park Naturalists (O*NET-SOC 19-1031.03; BLS series “Conservation Scientists”). O*NET 31.0 lists “Naturalist” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data and employer job postings). O*NET figures on this page are for that occupation; BLS pay and projections are for the broader BLS occupation, labelled where shown. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Provide care for park program animals. importance 4.6 of 5
2. Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions. importance 4.5 of 5
3. Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Plan and organize public events at the park. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Train staff and volunteers on park programs. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members. importance 4.0 of 5
9. Develop environmental educational programs and curricula for schools. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs. importance 4.0 of 5
11. Perform emergency duties to protect human life, government property, and natural features of park. importance 3.8 of 5
12. Survey park to determine forest conditions and distribution and abundance of fauna and flora. importance 3.6 of 5
13. Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays. importance 3.5 of 5
14. Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs. importance 3.2 of 5
15. Take photographs and motion pictures for use in lectures and publications and to develop displays. importance 3.2 of 5
16. Perform routine maintenance on park structures. importance 3.2 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others and Training and Teaching Others.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files.
• Interview specialists in desired fields to obtain and develop data for park information programs.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Biology, English Language, Education and Training and Geography.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Office software, Facebook, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (75%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Naturalist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Naturalist to plan, develop, and conduct programs to inform public of historical, natural, and scientific features of national, state, or local park.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Provide care for park program animals.
- Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions.
- Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
- Prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features.
- Plan and organize public events at the park.
- Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
- Train staff and volunteers on park programs.
- Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, active listening and writing
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Biology
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Office software or Facebook]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For the broader BLS occupation Conservation Scientists, the median annual wage was $73,010 in May 2025. The broader occupation's median hourly wage was $35.10.

BLS counts the O*NET occupation Park Naturalists within Conservation Scientists and publishes no separate wage for it, so the figure is for that broader occupation.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Conservation scientists to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,100 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real naturalist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Provide care for park program animals”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only naturalist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and active listening): a real situation, what you did and what changed.