Soil Conservationist – As an NRCS Soil Conservationist, you’ll spend most of your time 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 improve 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 also provide outreach for NRCS. 

Educational Requirements:  A degree in a major field of study in soil conservation or a related agricultural or natural resource discipline.  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 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.

Locations:  Socorro , New Mexico

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.

 Educational Requirements: A degree in a major field of study in soil science or a closely related discipline.  Your study must include 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, 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 and 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.   

Educational Requirements:  A degree with a major field of study in range management or a related discipline that includes at least 15 semester hours in plant, animal, and soils sciences; 9 semester hours in resource management, with 18 semester hours in range management.

Administration and Office Support  - As an Administrative and Office Support Student Trainee, you will receive intensive training in various administrative management assignments, and related activities found in financial management, human resource management and administrative services. 

 Educational Requirements:  The required education must lead to a bachelor’s degree with specialization in or directly related to the field in which the student trainee will receive on-the-job training. 

Locations:  Albuquerque , New Mexico

 Agronomist  - If you have  an interest in agronomy, botany, horticulture or plant science especially in the field application of these sciences then agronomy may be the career for you. 

 Educational Requirements:  Degree in agronomy or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production and soil and crop management. 

Locations:  Roswell , New Mexico ; Ft Sumner , New Mexico