All About Forest and Conservation Workers
Career Description 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, and tree planters.
Daily Life Of a Forest and Conservation Worker
- Maintain campsites or recreational areas, replenishing firewood or other supplies and cleaning kitchens or restrooms.
- Gather, package, or deliver forest products to buyers.
- Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
- Operate skidders, bulldozers, or other prime movers to pull a variety of scarification or site preparation equipment over areas to be regenerated.
- Thin or space trees, using power thinning saws.
- Identify diseased or undesirable trees and remove them, using power saws or hand saws.
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Qualities of a Forest and Conservation Worker
When polled, Forest and Conservation Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
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.
Other Forest and Conservation Worker Job Titles
- Greens Tier
- Forestry Laborer
- Geographic Information Systems Coordinator (GIS Coordinator)
- Scrape Gatherer
- Fern Cutter
Are There Job Opportunities for Forest and Conservation Workers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 14,300 jobs in the United States for Forest and Conservation Worker. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Forest and Conservation Worker. The BLS estimates 2,100 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Forest and Conservation Worker are Oregon, North Dakota, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Massachusetts, Louisiana, or New Jersey. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Forest and Conservation Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Forest and Conservation Workers is somewhere between $21,940 and $48,220.

Forest and Conservation Workers who work in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, or Missouri, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Forest and Conservation Workers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
California | $24,720 |
Colorado | $28,830 |
District of Columbia | $50,800 |
Florida | $33,850 |
Georgia | $38,190 |
Hawaii | $39,810 |
Illinois | $38,760 |
Indiana | $24,340 |
Iowa | $28,400 |
Kansas | $28,380 |
Louisiana | $35,590 |
Maryland | $41,030 |
Massachusetts | $46,700 |
Michigan | $41,710 |
Missouri | $44,220 |
Montana | $30,080 |
New Hampshire | $33,440 |
New Jersey | $37,320 |
New York | $39,100 |
North Dakota | $32,490 |
Ohio | $41,520 |
Oklahoma | $33,250 |
Oregon | $36,920 |
Pennsylvania | $51,970 |
South Carolina | $28,330 |
South Dakota | $28,690 |
Tennessee | $25,570 |
Texas | $34,280 |
Washington | $28,070 |
West Virginia | $25,830 |
Wisconsin | $41,960 |
What Tools & Technology do Forest and Conservation Workers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Forest and Conservation Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE
- ESRI ArcGIS software
How to Become a Forest and Conservation Worker
Learn what Forest and Conservation Worker education requirements there are.

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Forest and Conservation Workers Work

Forest and Conservation Workers work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Forest and Conservation Worker might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Forest and Conservation Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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