Forest and Conservation Workers
Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.
- Median annual earnings
- $41,491
- Projected change
- +9.8%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 20.61K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
47.1% of the workforce
Growing to 22.63K 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 workers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
- Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians.
- Perform fire protection or suppression duties, such as constructing fire breaks or disposing of brush.
- Confer with other workers to discuss issues, such as safety, cutting heights, or work needs.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $20,307
- 25th percentile
- $33,053
- 50th percentile
- $41,491
- 75th percentile
- $48,374
- 90th percentile
- $78,626
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $41,491 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
2,027 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
- 47.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 22.5%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 20.3%
- Some college
- 6.5%
- Certificate
- 1.9%
- Associate degree
- 1.8%
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.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- 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.
- 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.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- 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.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Greenskeepers165 postings
- 02Field Laborers151 postings
- 03Environmental Field Laborers105 postings
- 04Land Stewards90 postings
- 05Forestry Aides71 postings
- 06Natural Resources Managers41 postings
- 07Entry Specialists39 postings
- 08Conservation Coordinators38 postings
- 09Forestry Workers36 postings
- 10Laborers/Operators33 postings
- 11Stewardship Coordinators30 postings
- 12Urban Forestry Interns30 postings
- 13Wildland Firefighters29 postings
- 14Labor Foremen27 postings
- 15Store Crew Members26 postings
- 16Field Leaders23 postings
- 17Forestry Interns23 postings
- 18Stewardship Managers23 postings
- 19Equipment Operators/Foremen22 postings
- 20Operations Crew Members21 postings
Top employers
- 01Student Conservation Association115 postings
- 02Troon Golf, L.L.C.91 postings
- 03Troon57 postings
- 04Clean Harbors52 postings
- 05The Nature Conservancy40 postings
- 06Conservation Legacy37 postings
- 07State of Louisiana36 postings
- 08State of California35 postings
- 09Keystone Clearwater Solutions32 postings
- 10Land Trust Alliance30 postings
- 11Miller Environmental Group28 postings
- 12Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania24 postings
- 13Northwest Youth Corps22 postings
- 14Cascade Remediation Services21 postings
- 15Atrium Health18 postings
- 16State of Minnesota17 postings
- 17Tyson Sales and Distribution17 postings
- 18BWAY Corporation16 postings
- 19Larimer County16 postings
- 20Tyson Foods16 postings
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