Minnesota / Natural Resources Department

Agency file

Natural Resources Department

Source file: Minnesota — State Employee Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Natural Resources Department protects natural resources and the environment — conservation, parks and wildlife, and environmental regulation.

In 2025, this agency had 3,514 employees with median total compensation of $66,596; the highest distinct record was $240,971.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $226.7M
Employees: 3,514
Median total: $66,596
Highest record: $240,971

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$13$144,593+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 3,514 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($66,596) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $60,301 (93%)
Overtime — $2,673 (4%)
Other — $1,533 (2%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$7,694

$27,483

$66,596

$95,167

$115,594

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $115,594 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $7,694. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Buildings & Grounds Worker

260 · $17,987

Parks & Trails Associate

198 · $14,362

Nr Specialist 2 Co

150 · $116,115

Laborer Trades & Equipment

90 · $46,497

Office & Administrative Specialist Int

82 · $51,468

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2024	$201.6M —	3,353 —	$62,927 —
2025	$226.7M ▲ 12.4%	3,514 ▲ 4.8%	$66,596 ▲ 5.8%

Record list

Employees

Page 4

Michael Fetzek

Nr Forest Fire Resp Lead/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,762

Sub-department: FOR R3 Little Falls Asst Staff
Base pay: $36,567
Overtime: $1,902
Other pay: $4,293
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,762
Hire date: 1990-03-26
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 60
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Kanabec

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Michael Fetzek serves as a Nr Forest Fire Resp Lead within For R3 Little Falls Assistant Staff. Their tenure dates to 1990, about 35 years, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $42,762. They are represented by Service.

Irvin Fransen Jr

Buildings & Grounds Worker/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,665

Sub-department: PAT-R1 Itasca Resources
Base pay: $41,225
Overtime: $1,184
Other pay: $256
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,665
Hire date: 2018-05-23
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 60
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.9
Work county: Hubbard

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Irvin Fransen Jr works as a Buildings & Grounds Worker for Natural Resources Department within Pat-R1 Itasca Resources. Their tenure dates to 2018, about 7 years as a part-time, 0.9 FTE employee. Irvin earned $42,665 in 2025. They are represented by Service.

Cara Podominick

General Maintenance Worker/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,653

Sub-department: OSD MR Region 2 Facility Ops
Base pay: $42,653
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,653
Hire date: 2022-04-19
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 60
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Itasca

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Cara Podominick is a General Maintenance Worker at Natural Resources Department within Osd Mr Region 2 Facility Operations. Hired in 2022, they have about 3 years of service, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $42,653. Union affiliation: Service.

Dusty Krohn

Nr Forest Fire Resp Lead/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,475

Sub-department: FOR R1 Baudette Asst Staff
Base pay: $38,959
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,516
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,475
Hire date: 1990-03-28
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 60
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Lake Of Woods

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Dusty Krohn works as a Nr Forest Fire Resp Lead for Natural Resources Department within For R1 Baudette Assistant Staff. Hired in 1990, they have about 35 years of service as a full-time employee. Dusty earned $42,475 in 2025. They are represented by Service.

Eric Michel

Research Scientist 2/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,406

Sub-department: WL-R4 Res Madelia Staff
Base pay: $41,946
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $460
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,406
Hire date: 2019-03-25
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 14
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Watonwan

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Eric Michel holds the role of Research Scientist 2 at Natural Resources Department within Wl-R4 Res Madelia Staff. They have served since 2019 (about 6 years) as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $42,406. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Gianna Roy

Nr Technician/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,403

Sub-department: WL-R1 Res Bemidji Staff
Base pay: $37,890
Overtime: $3,565
Other pay: $948
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,403
Hire date: 2023-06-26
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 61
Union / bargaining unit: Technical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Beltrami

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 207
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Gianna Roy serves as a Nr Technician within Wl-R1 Res Bemidji Staff. Their tenure dates to 2023, about 2 years, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $42,403. Their bargaining unit is Technical.

Evan Wilkins

Buildings & Grounds Worker/Natural Resources Department

2024 total comp

$42,354

Sub-department: PAT-R2GooseberryFalls Staff 4
Base pay: $41,092
Overtime: $843
Other pay: $420
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,354
Hire date: 2018-05-30
Employment type: Intermittent
Pay grade: 56
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.25
Work county: Lake

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: No
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Evan Wilkins holds the role of Buildings & Grounds Worker at Natural Resources Department within Pat-R2Gooseberryfalls Staff 4. Hired in 2018, they have about 6 years of service as a intermittent, 0.25 FTE employee. In 2024, their total compensation was $42,354. They are represented by Service.

Danielle Hage

Office & Administrative Specialist Int/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,313

Sub-department: Fish-R4 Ortonville Staff
Base pay: $42,313
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,313
Hire date: 2019-11-04
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 61
Union / bargaining unit: Clerical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.9
Work county: Big Stone

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 206
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Danielle Hage is a Office & Administrative Specialist Int at Natural Resources Department within Fish-R4 Ortonville Staff. Hired in 2019, they have about 6 years of service, working part-time, 0.9 FTE. 2025 total compensation came to $42,313. Union affiliation: Clerical.

Patrick Kraus

Laborer Trades & Equipment/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,298

Sub-department: PAT R4C Hutchinson Staff
Base pay: $30,888
Overtime: $1,629
Other pay: $9,781
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,298
Hire date: 1985-05-15
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 86
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Le Sueur

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Patrick Kraus holds the role of Laborer Trades & Equipment at Natural Resources Department within Pat R4C Hutchinson Staff. They have served since 1985 (about 40 years) as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $42,298. Union affiliation: Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Kristy Thoreson

Customer Services Specialist Int/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$42,291

Sub-department: F&W License Reg/Title Staff
Base pay: $42,283
Overtime: $8
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,291
Hire date: 2021-09-22
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 61
Union / bargaining unit: Clerical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 206
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Kristy Thoreson holds the role of Customer Services Specialist Int at Natural Resources Department within F&W License Reg/Title Staff. Their tenure dates to 2021, about 4 years as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $42,291. Their bargaining unit is Clerical.