Darst, Jeremy A
Interpret Naturalist 2Natural Resources DeptWinona CountyFull-time
PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff. Minnesota state employee pay history, from State of Minnesota salary data.
Total paid
$780,691
over 16 fiscal years
Latest year
$77,502
FY 2026 · $927 overtime
Highest year
$77,502
FY 2026
Yearly average
$48,793
across years on record
Change since first year
+1,006%
FY 2011 to FY 2026 · prices +48%
Pay by fiscal year
Total paid across all records in each year, overtime included, compared with consumer prices.
Paid in yearFY 2011 pay grown with consumer prices (CPI)
From FY 2011 to FY 2026, pay went up 1,006% while consumer prices went up 48%. After inflation, pay is up 646% (it beat inflation).
| Year | Paid | Change | Prices (CPI) | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $77,502 | +1.5% | +3.1% | −1.6% |
| FY 2025 | $76,339 | +14.1% | +2.6% | +11.2% |
| FY 2024 | $66,899 | +14.1% | +3.3% | +10.5% |
| FY 2023 | $58,617 | −3.0% | +6.3% | −8.7% |
| FY 2022 | $60,444 | +12.5% | +7.2% | +5.0% |
| FY 2021 | $53,735 | −6.1% | +2.3% | −8.2% |
| FY 2020 | $57,235 | +12.5% | +1.6% | +10.8% |
| FY 2019 | $50,878 | +3.6% | +2.1% | +1.5% |
| FY 2018 | $49,132 | −1.8% | +2.3% | −3.9% |
| FY 2017 | $50,012 | +5.3% | +1.8% | +3.4% |
| FY 2016 | $47,517 | +6.8% | +0.7% | +6.1% |
| FY 2015 | $44,504 | +15.4% | +0.7% | +14.6% |
| FY 2014 | $38,554 | +34.5% | +1.6% | +32.4% |
| FY 2013 | $28,669 | +110.1% | +1.7% | +106.7% |
| FY 2012 | $13,642 | +94.6% | +2.9% | +89.1% |
| FY 2011 | $7,010 | — | — | — |
Each change compares a year with the one before. Large swings usually come from a partial year, extra hours or a change of job rather than a raise. Prices: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, U.S. city average) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, averaged July to June; FY 2026 uses 11 months because October 2025 was not published.
Compared with the same job title
FY 2026 · Interpret Naturalist 2
Paid more than 79% of the 29 people with this job title that year. The median was $66,167.
Uses the amount paid in the year, so partial years and part-time positions read low.
See everyone with this job titleEvery record
36 records, newest first
| FY | Agency | Job title | County | Base pay | Overtime | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Full-time | Winona | $37.26 /hr | $927 | $77,502 |
| 2025 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Full-time | Winona | $36.71 /hr | $147 | $76,339 |
| 2024 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $35.13 /hr | — | $66,899 |
| 2023 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $33.30 /hr | — | $58,617 |
| 2022 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $32.49 /hr | — | $60,444 |
| 2022 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $30.24 /hr | — | — |
| 2021 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $31.70 /hr | — | $53,735 |
| 2021 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $29.50 /hr | — | — |
| 2020 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $30.93 /hr | — | $57,235 |
| 2020 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time · left during year | Winona | $28.78 /hr | — | — |
| 2020 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $28.78 /hr | — | — |
| 2019 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $29.18 /hr | — | $50,878 |
| 2019 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $28.15 /hr | — | — |
| 2019 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $28.15 /hr | — | — |
| 2018 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $27.53 /hr | — | $49,132 |
| 2018 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $26.58 /hr | — | — |
| 2018 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $26.58 /hr | — | — |
| 2017 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $26.06 /hr | $322 | $50,012 |
| 2017 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $25.22 /hr | — | — |
| 2017 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $25.22 /hr | — | — |
| 2016 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $24.60 /hr | $570 | $47,517 |
| 2016 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $23.73 /hr | — | — |
| 2016 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $23.73 /hr | — | — |
| 2015 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $23.15 /hr | $571 | $44,504 |
| 2015 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $21.66 /hr | — | — |
| 2015 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $22.39 /hr | — | — |
| 2014 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $21.74 /hr | $626 | $38,554 |
| 2014 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $21.03 /hr | — | — |
| 2014 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $21.03 /hr | — | — |
| 2013 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 2 Part-time | Winona | $20.42 /hr | $1,290 | $28,669 |
| 2013 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $19.72 /hr | — | — |
| 2013 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Whitewater Staff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time · left during year | Winona | $19.09 /hr | — | — |
| 2012 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Full-time | Fillmore | $18.72 /hr | $962 | $13,642 |
| 2012 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $18.10 /hr | — | — |
| 2011 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Part-time | Fillmore | $18.10 /hr | $448 | $7,010 |
| 2011 | Natural Resources Dept PAT-R3 Forestville CaveStaff | Interpret Naturalist 1 Intermittent · left during year | Fillmore | $17.56 /hr | — | — |
The state reports one pay total per person per year, covering all of their positions, so it appears on one of that year’s lines and the others show no separate pay.
Highest paid in Natural Resources Dept
FY 2026, amount paid
- Lais, Daniel R$215,649State Prog Admin Manager Sr
- Smith, Rodmen E$205,052NR Dir - Enforcement
- Naramore, Barbara Lynn$198,561Deputy Commr Natural Resources
- Strommen, Sarah$197,945Commissioner-Natural Resources
- Lotthammer, Shannon M$186,471Asst Commr NR Operations
- Richards, Jess W$185,409Asst Commr NR Operations
- Meier, Robert H$185,344Asst Commr NR Operations
- Gorecki, Robert Andrew$184,600NR Asst Dir - Enforcement
Highest paid as Interpret Naturalist 2
FY 2026, amount paid
- Ness, Christine I$80,796Minnesota Zoological Garden
- Eckhoff, Benjamin Nicholas$79,014Natural Resources Dept
- Wendt, Andrew James$77,883Natural Resources Dept
- Geisler, Brian N$77,867Natural Resources Dept
- Fallon, Erin Marie$77,639Natural Resources Dept
- Lichter, Sandra D$77,501Natural Resources Dept
- Thao, Kao$77,461Natural Resources Dept
- Mester, Amy Victoria$77,457Natural Resources Dept