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 6

Vaughn Snook

Nr Specialist Int Fisheries/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,742

Sub-department: Fish-R3 SE Operations Staff
Base pay: $78,742
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,742
Hire date: 2001-08-29
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 8
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Fillmore

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Vaughn Snook serves as a Nr Specialist Int Fisheries within Fish-R3 Se Operations Staff. Their tenure dates to 2001, about 24 years, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $78,742. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Todd Froberg

State Program Administrative Director/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,680

Sub-department: F&W Populations Program
Base pay: $75,726
Overtime: $2,852
Other pay: $103
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,680
Hire date: 2016-01-13
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 21
Union / bargaining unit: Middle Management Association
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 216
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Todd Froberg is a State Program Administrative Director at Natural Resources Department within F&W Populations Program. They have served since 2016 (about 9 years), working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $78,680. Their bargaining unit is Middle Management Association.

Lauren Peck

Communications Specialist 2/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,617

Sub-department: OSD OCO R3 Officer
Base pay: $78,389
Overtime: $228
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,617
Hire date: 2023-08-30
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 11
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Lauren Peck serves as a Communications Specialist 2 within Osd Oco R3 Officer. Their tenure dates to 2023, about 2 years, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $78,617. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Matthew Skoog

Nr Area Supervisor Fisheries/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,605

Sub-department: Fish-R1 Baudette
Base pay: $75,949
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $2,656
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,605
Hire date: 2018-07-16
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 18
Union / bargaining unit: Middle Management Association
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: 216
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Matthew Skoog serves as a Nr Area Supervisor Fisheries within Fish-R1 Baudette. Their tenure dates to 2018, about 7 years, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $78,605. Their bargaining unit is Middle Management Association.

Durel Carstensen

Nr Specialist Senior Fisheries/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,592

Sub-department: Fish-R4 Asst Reg Staff
Base pay: $78,592
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,592
Hire date: 2016-05-09
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 11
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Brown

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Durel Carstensen holds the role of Nr Specialist Senior Fisheries at Natural Resources Department within Fish-R4 Assistant Reg Staff. Hired in 2016, they have about 9 years of service as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $78,592. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Mark Ranweiler

Nr Specialist Senior Eco Services/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,592

Sub-department: ECO Waters R1 Southern Staff
Base pay: $78,592
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,592
Hire date: 2012-05-11
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 11
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Otter Tail

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Mark Ranweiler serves as a Nr Specialist Senior Eco Services within Eco Waters R1 Southern Staff. They have served since 2012 (about 13 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $78,592. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Michael Worland

Nr Specialist Senior Eco Services/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,567

Sub-department: ECO Waters R4 ARm Staff
Base pay: $78,567
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,567
Hire date: 2015-07-15
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 11
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Blue Earth

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Michael Worland is a Nr Specialist Senior Eco Services at Natural Resources Department within Eco Waters R4 Arm Staff. They have served since 2015 (about 10 years), working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $78,567. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Beth Holbrook

Research Scientist 2/Natural Resources Department

2025 total comp

$78,527

Sub-department: Fish - Habitat
Base pay: $78,527
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,527
Hire date: 2009-08-19
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 14
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.8
Work county: Crow Wing

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Beth Holbrook is a Research Scientist 2 at Natural Resources Department within Fish - Habitat. Hired in 2009, they have about 16 years of service, working part-time, 0.8 FTE. 2025 total compensation came to $78,527. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Rebecca Arnesen

Nr Forestry Specialist Int/Natural Resources Department

2024 total comp

$78,390

Sub-department: FOR R1 Warroad Staff
Base pay: $69,163
Overtime: $7,277
Other pay: $1,950
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $78,390
Hire date: 2016-08-01
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 8
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Roseau

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: R29
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Natural Resources Department, Rebecca Arnesen serves as a Nr Forestry Specialist Int within For R1 Warroad Staff. They have served since 2016 (about 8 years), working full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $78,390. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.