Forest and Conservation Technicians
Provide technical assistance regarding the conservation of soil, water, forests, or related natural resources. May compile data pertaining to size, content, condition, and other characteristics of forest tracts under the direction of foresters, or train and lead forest workers in forest propagation and fire prevention and suppression.
- Median annual earnings
- $54,488
- Projected change
- +0.1%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 37.01K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
35.3% of the workforce
Growing to 37.04K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What forest and conservation technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks.
- Train and lead forest and conservation workers in seasonal activities, such as planting tree seedlings, putting out forest fires, and maintaining recreational facilities.
- Patrol park or forest areas to protect resources and prevent damage.
- Provide information about, and enforce, regulations, such as those concerning environmental protection, resource utilization, fire safety, and accident prevention.
- Map forest tract data using digital mapping systems.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $40,077
- 25th percentile
- $47,168
- 50th percentile
- $54,488
- 75th percentile
- $68,824
- 90th percentile
- $84,839
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $54,488 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
32 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 35.3%
- Associate degree
- 34.9%
- Bachelor's degree
- 14.8%
- Some college
- 10.4%
- Certificate
- 4.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Forestry Technicians336 postings
- 02Natural Resources Technicians160 postings
- 03Conservation Technicians100 postings
- 04District Foresters50 postings
- 05Test Technicians41 postings
- 06Stewardship Managers37 postings
- 07Field Technicians33 postings
- 08Wildlife Technicians33 postings
- 09Forest Officers27 postings
- 10Nursery Technicians26 postings
- 11Environmental Field Laborers22 postings
- 12Management Technicians21 postings
- 13Wildland Firefighters21 postings
- 14Range Technicians19 postings
- 15Rehabilitation Technicians17 postings
- 16Forestry Technicians Dispatch16 postings
- 17Technicians15 postings
- 18Individual Investors14 postings
- 19Recreation Technicians14 postings
- 20Urban Forestry Interns14 postings
Top employers
- 01Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania63 postings
- 02Colorado State University46 postings
- 03Forestry Department35 postings
- 04Conservation Legacy30 postings
- 05Sierra Pacific Industries29 postings
- 06United States Forest Service29 postings
- 07Great Basin Institute25 postings
- 08State of Washington23 postings
- 09Miller Environmental Group22 postings
- 10Great Parks Of Hamilton County21 postings
- 11Student Conservation Association21 postings
- 12Northwest Youth Corps20 postings
- 13United States Department of the Interior18 postings
- 14State of Florida16 postings
- 15District Of Columbia Courts13 postings
- 16Land Trust Alliance12 postings
- 17University of Georgia12 postings
- 18Sierra Nevada Alliance11 postings
- 19State of California11 postings
- 20Fossil Group10 postings
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