Updated for 2026

Range Manager Salary in 2026

This Range Manager salary guide for 2026 centers on Careerclev's modeled national salary benchmark, built from the latest official BLS wage baseline and extended with wage trend history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available. It covers average salary, hourly pay, experience bands, salary by city, salary by state, industry premiums, in-demand skills, and long-term job outlook so readers can compare what drives higher compensation.

Last updated: 202625,590 employment estimateFull salary breakdown12 min read
Average Salary
$70.1K
per year (USA)
Entry Level
$46.7K
starting range
Senior Level
$90.8K
upper percentile
Top Earners
$124K+
lead / principal
Hourly Rate
$34
avg. equivalent
Salary figures projected to 2026  from May 2024BLS OEWS baseline·  Projections use wage history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available
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What Does a Range Manager Earn?

Careerclev's modeled 2026 benchmark places Range Manager pay at $70,113.0 per year in the United States. On the latest official 2024 BLS wage baseline, the lower end of the Range Manager salary range starts around $45,260.0, while experienced professionals and top earners can reach $107,720 or more.

That national figure is only the starting point. In practice, pay for this role changes quickly once location, industry, experience level, and specialization enter the picture. A Range Manager working in San Jose, CA or a stronger salary industry like Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing may see a very different salary path than someone in a lower-cost market, especially when skills like role-specific skills and advanced tools define the role.

Key 2026 BenchmarkThe national median Range Manager salary is $70,113.0, with an estimated hourly equivalent of $34.

What Range Manager Professionals Do

Research or study range land management practices to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife.

Typical Responsibilities

Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
Core
Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
Core
Regulate grazing, such as by issuing permits and checking for compliance with standards, and help ranchers plan and organize grazing systems to manage, improve, protect, and maximize the use of rangelands.
Core
Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water.
Core
Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
Core
Manage forage resources through fire, herbicide use, or revegetation to maintain a sustainable yield from the land.
Core
Related job titlesConservationist, Land Management Supervisor, Natural Resource Manager, Natural Resource Specialist, Range Management Specialist, Range Technician

Range Manager Salary by Experience Level

Experience is one of the strongest salary drivers for Range Manager roles. Entry-level workers usually sit closer to the lower salary band while senior, lead, and principal-level professionals move into higher ranges as they take on ownership, decision-making, mentoring, and more specialized work.

That progression matters because the headline median can hide how wide the real pay ladder is. For some roles, early-career pay stays close to the middle; for others, the gap between first-job pay and senior pay is large enough to change how attractive the path looks over time.

LevelExperienceAvg. Base SalaryEstimated Total PayGrowth vs Previous
Entry Level Range Manager0-2 years$46,742.0$49.1K - $57.6KN/A
Mid Level Range Manager3-5 years$70,165.0$59.8K - $99.0K+50.1%
Senior Level Range Manager6-10 years$90,801.0$79.3K - $126K+29.4%
Lead / Principal Range Manager10+ years$111,128$106K - $146K+22.4%
How to read the experience tableThe cards show the quick salary story, while the table gives a more detailed view of how Range Managerpay can move from entry-level work into senior and lead responsibility.

Range Manager Salary by City

City salary differences matter because Range Manager jobs are tied to local employer demand, cost of living, and industry concentration. Markets like San Jose, CA and Portland, OR can pay very differently even when the job title looks the same on paper.

That is why city pages are often more useful than national averages once you are actively job searching. They show whether a stronger nominal salary comes from a genuinely better market, a more specialized employer mix, or simply a more expensive metro.

United States — City Comparison

CityProjected SalaryVs. National BenchmarkCost of Living Signal
San Jose, CA$105,680+51%High salary market
Portland, OR$98,930.0+41%High salary market
Salem, OR$98,050.0+40%High salary market
San Francisco, CA$96,260.0+37%High salary market
Bend, OR$94,310.0+35%High salary market
Santa Rosa, CA$91,770.0+31%High salary market
Medford, OR$87,050.0+24%High salary market
Charlottesville, VA$86,730.0+24%High salary market
Oregon$86,170.0+23%High salary market
Las Vegas, NV$85,820.0+22%High salary market
City salary pictureA higher Range Manager salary in a major metro does not always mean higher take-home value. Housing, taxes, commuting, and remote-work flexibility can change the real outcome.
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Range Manager Salary by Industry

Industry can change a Range Manager salary as much as geography. Employers in Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing may pay more when the role sits close to revenue, regulated operations, complex infrastructure, or scarce technical expertise.

IndustryProjected SalaryBonus PotentialJob SecurityGrowth Pace
Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing$77,590.0HighStrongFast
Administrative, Support, Waste Management, and Remediation Services$76,990.0HighStrongFast
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services$72,010.0HighStrongFast
Government Excluding Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service$71,870.0ModerateStrongFast
Government, Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service$71,250.0ModerateStrongModerate
Educational Services$64,110.0ModerateModerateModerate
Other Services Except Public Administration$62,940.0ModerateModerateModerate
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation$49,980.0LowerModerateModerate

The strongest-paying industries for Range Manager roles usually combine higher budgets with urgent business needs. Use this table to compare not only salary, but also the tradeoff between upside, stability, and long-term growth.

Range Manager Salary by Skill Specialization

Skills shape salary because they tell employers what kind of problems a Range Manager can solve. Strong signals around role-specific skills, advanced tools, tools, platforms, analysis, communication, and domain knowledge can help candidates move from average pay into stronger compensation bands.

Common tool stackO*NET maps Range Manager work to tools such as ESRI ArcGIS software, Email software, BehavePlus, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
role-specific skills can raise the ceilingThe most valuable Range Manager skills are the ones connected to business-critical work, scarce tools, and hard-to-fill responsibilities. Pairing role-specific skills with advanced tools can make a candidate easier to price at the top of the salary range.

Remote vs Onsite vs Hybrid — Salary Comparison

Remote, onsite, and hybrid pay can shift the salary story for Range Manager jobs. Remote roles often widen the hiring market, while onsite roles may pay more in expensive metros when employers need local availability, team coverage, or specialized workplace access.

Work TypeAvg. BaseExperienceBenefitsFlexibility
Remote Range Manager$70,113.0Market dependentVariableHigh
Hybrid Range Manager$72,216.4Metro dependentStrongMedium
Onsite Range Manager$70,814.1Location dependentStrongLower

Hybrid roles can carry a small premium in high-cost cities, while fully remote roles can be especially powerful for workers outside the most expensive labor markets. The best comparison is total pay after location, taxes, commuting, and lifestyle costs.

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How to Become a Range Manager

The most common path into Range Manager work is to pair the expected baseline education with early hands-on practice and proof that you can handle the core responsibilities of the role. Candidates move faster when they can connect training, projects, internships, or prior adjacent work to the exact kinds of tasks employers hire range manager professionals to do.

If you want the fuller step-by-step version, open the full How to Become a Range Manager guide.

Practical shortcutThe strongest early candidates for Range Manager jobs usually show job-relevant work samples, clear fundamentals, and evidence that they can contribute with limited supervision.
Knowledge areas employers associate with this roleEnglish Language, Customer and Personal Service, Biology, and Education and Training.

Range Manager Work Environment

Work environment can shape job fit just as much as salary. For Range Manager, the day-to-day experience may vary based on employer type, digital vs on-site workflows, collaboration intensity, schedule predictability, and how much independent judgment the role requires.

Common work-style signalsO*NET highlights Dependability, Attention to Detail, Social Orientation, and Integrity for Range Manager work.
E-Mail
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Entry-Level Range Manager Salary Expectations

Entry-level Range Manager salary expectations should be viewed as a starting range, not a ceiling. New workers in this role often earn around $46,742.0, with pay rising as they build practical experience, stronger judgment, better tools, and a clearer track record of delivering work without close supervision.

Internship / Trainee
$22/hr
$35.1K - $53.8K annualized
Early practical exposure, supervised assignments, portfolio building, and conversion into a first full-time role.
New Grad / Junior
$46.7K
$46.7K - $54.9K base
First full-time Range Manager roles reward candidates who can show useful work, reliable fundamentals, and coachability.

Typical Promotion Timeline

Promotions usually follow the move from supervised work to independent delivery, then to broader ownership. Switching employers can sometimes accelerate salary growth when the current role has a narrow pay band.

StageTypical TimelineSalary JumpKey Milestone
Intern → JuniorInternship → first role$8.4K - $15.0KFirst full-time offer
Junior → Mid18-30 months$8.4K - $15.4KDeliver work independently
Mid → Senior2-4 years$10.9K - $20.0KOwn larger outcomes
Senior → Lead3-6 years$13.3K - $27.8KInfluence teams or strategy

Range Manager Career Progression & Salary Path

This step is useful because experience level and career progression are related, but not identical. The pay path below shows how compensation tends to widen as the work moves from narrower execution into broader ownership and leadership scope.

1
Intern / Trainee
$39.4K$53.0K
Range Manager compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
2
Junior
$48.9K$64.6K
Range Manager compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
3
Mid Level
$61.2K$76.1K
Range Manager compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
4
Senior
$73.4K$95.1K
Range Manager compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
5
Lead
$87.0K$110K
Range Manager compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
6
Principal / Architect
$102K$139K
Range Manager compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.

Factors That Affect a Range Manager's Salary

A Range Manager salary is rarely determined by job title alone. Employers also price the role based on education, certifications, tools used, industry setting, workplace responsibility, and how difficult it is to find qualified candidates with the same mix of skills.

Years of Experience
Salary usually rises as the role moves from entry-level execution to independent ownership, mentoring, and broader decision-making.
Location and Cost of Living
Local salary ranges vary by labor market, employer density, and household-income context.
Industry
Industry pay can vary when employers in higher-margin or harder-to-staff sectors compete for the same occupation.
Specialized Skills
O*NET marks high-demand role-specific skills as relevant skills for this role, making them useful anchors for specialization and salary-growth content.

Range Manager Job Demand & Market Outlook

The Range Manager job outlook matters because demand affects hiring, salary growth, and how much leverage qualified workers have. The current projection points to 3.4% employment change from 2024 to 2034, which helps explain whether employers are likely to keep competing for qualified talent.

Salary is easier to interpret when it sits next to a demand signal. Strong wages in a shrinking field can tell a very different story from strong wages in a role where openings, replacement demand, and market expansion are all still active.

BLS Employment ProjectionEmployment is projected to change by 3.4% from 2024 to 2034.
About averageAnnual openings: 2.5 thousand.
Metric2026 Status
Projected employment28.5k → 29.5k
Typical educationMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related experienceA considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Remote job availabilityMeaningful for roles with portable work and digital workflows
Salary market signalMedian pay of $70,113.0 suggests a solid compensation track.

How to Increase Your Range Manager Salary

The most reliable way to increase a Range Manager salary is to make your value easier for employers to measure. That usually means building stronger evidence around outcomes, expanding into higher-value skills, moving toward better-paying industries, and negotiating with current market salary data in hand.

StrategyAvg. Salary ImpactTimelineEffort Level
Benchmark against stronger markets+15-30%1-3 monthsHigh ROI
Build a visible specialization$8.4K - $19.6K3-9 monthsMedium
Target higher-paying industries$5.6K - $12.6K2-6 monthsMedium
The fastest salary liftFor many Range Manager professionals, the fastest path is a focused mix of stronger proof, higher-value skills, and better market selection. Salary gains usually come faster when candidates combine a clear portfolio with targeted applications and negotiation.

Range Manager vs Similar Career Salaries

Comparing Range Manager salary with Physicist and other nearby careers helps show whether this job title is underpaid, fairly priced, or part of a stronger salary path. These comparisons are useful when choosing between roles, planning a career move, or deciding which skills to build next.

Physicist
$166K
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Astronomer
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Neuropsychologist
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Frequently Asked Questions

These questions usually come up after readers compare the national salary, experience bands, and city differences. Together they clarify how to read the salary data and what to pay attention to when you compare this role with nearby careers.

What is the average Range Managers salary?
The latest national baseline for Range Managers is about $68,000 per year, based on the current BLS-derived salary facts in CareerClev.
What is the entry-level Range Managers salary?
Entry-level estimates for Range Managers are modeled around the lower BLS percentile range, currently about $45,300 per year nationally.
How much can senior Range Managers professionals earn?
Senior Range Managers estimates are modeled from upper percentile wage bands and currently sit around $88,000 per year nationally.
Does location affect Range Managers salary?
Yes. CareerClev stores salary facts by national, state, and metro locations, so location-specific pages should use the closest available geography instead of a single national number.
Which skills matter for Range Managers salary growth?
CareerClev uses O*NET skill importance and level scores to identify role-relevant skills. These are useful for recommendations, but should not be presented as measured salary premiums unless enriched compensation data exists.
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Data Sources & Methodology
Updated using 2024 BLS OEWS salary facts, O*NET occupation-skill data, Census location context where available, ILOSTAT country benchmarks where mapped, BLS Employment Projections where imported, and Stack Overflow Developer Survey enrichment for mapped tech roles.
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