Education:
44%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
23%
Bachelor's Degree
Forest and Conservation Worker
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Job Outlook:
Decline
Education:
High school diploma or equivalent
Salary
High:
$48,270.00
Average:
$36,010.00
Hourly
Average:
$17.31
What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
- 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.
Important Qualities
Communication skills. Forest and conservation workers must convey information to foresters and conservation scientists and other workers.
Decision-making skills. Forest and conservation workers must make judgments and act quickly, especially when conditions are dangerous.
Detail oriented. Forest and conservation workers must observe gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that equipment works properly. They also must be precise in following safety procedures.
Listening skills. Forest and conservation workers must understand the instructions they receive before performing tasks.
Physical stamina. Forest and conservation workers perform a variety of strenuous tasks. They also must be able to walk long distances through dense woods, often while carrying heavy equipment.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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87% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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87% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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85% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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82% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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78% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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76% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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76% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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75% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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74% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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72% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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69% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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69% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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66% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
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100% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. | |
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61% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Sort forestry or agricultural materials.
Inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs.
Communicate with other workers to coordinate activities.
Perform forest firefighting activities.
Perform forest firefighting activities.
Determine forestry techniques or methods.
Cut trees or logs.
Evaluate quality of plants or crops.
Cut trees or logs.
Apply chemical solutions to plants to protect against disease or insects or to enhance growth.
Transport animals, crops, or equipment.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Operate forestry equipment.
Record agricultural or forestry inventory data.
Build agricultural structures.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Operate forestry equipment.
Plant crops, trees, or other plants.
Perform manual agricultural, aquacultural, or horticultural tasks.
Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment.
Operate forestry equipment.
Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification.
Sort forestry or agricultural materials.
Clean equipment or facilities.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
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97% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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95% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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93% | Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? | |
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90% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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89% | In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? | |
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85% | Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? | |
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83% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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83% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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83% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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80% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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80% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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77% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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76% | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? | |
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75% | Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)? | |
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74% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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74% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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74% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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73% | Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? | |
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71% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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67% | Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment? |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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87% | Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. | |
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80% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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74% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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74% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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70% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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69% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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67% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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67% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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66% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
What Forest and Conservation Workers Do
Forest and conservation workers count trees during tree-measuring efforts.
Forest and conservation workers improve the quality of forests, rangelands, and wetlands. Under the supervision of conservation scientists and foresters, they develop, maintain, and protect forests.
Duties
Forest and conservation workers typically do the following:
- Plant seedlings to reforest land
- Clear brush and debris from trails, roadsides, and camping areas
- Count and measure trees during tree-measuring efforts
- Select or cut trees according to markings, sizes, types, or grades
- Protect plants from disease by spraying trees or injecting vegetation with insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides
- Identify and remove diseased or undesirable plant life or trees
- Help prevent and suppress forest fires
- Maintain equipment to ensure that it operates properly
Forest and conservation workers do physical tasks to maintain and improve the quality of a forest. They use a variety of equipment, including digging and planting tools to plant seedlings and power saws to cut down diseased trees.
Some work on tree farms or orchards, where their duties include planting and cultivating many kinds of trees. Their duties vary with the type of farm and may include planting seedlings or spraying to control weeds and insects.
Some forest and conservation workers are employed by forest nurseries, where they sort through tree seedlings, discarding the ones that do not meet standards. Others gather woodland products, such as decorative greenery, tree cones, moss, and other wild plant life. Still others tap trees to make syrup or chemicals.
Forest and conservation workers who are employed by or are under contract with government agencies may clear brush and debris from trails, roadsides, and camping areas. They may clean restrooms and other public facilities at recreational sites and campgrounds.
These workers also may help to suppress forest fires. For example, they may construct firebreaks, which are gaps in vegetation that can help slow or stop the progress of a fire. They also sometimes respond to forest emergencies.
Forest and conservation workers are supervised by conservation scientists and foresters, who direct their work and evaluate progress.
Work Environment
Forest and conservation workers held about 11,300 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of forest and conservation workers were as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 26% |
| Forestry | 23 |
| Support activities for agriculture and forestry | 10 |
| Self-employed workers | 9 |
| Crop production | 2 |
Forest and conservation workers work outdoors, sometimes in remote locations and in all types of weather. Workers may wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hardhats, safety glasses, and coveralls.
Their work is often physically demanding. In addition, forest and conservation workers may have to walk long distances through dense woods while carrying heavy equipment.
Injuries and Illnesses
Forest and conservation workers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. The work may be especially dangerous for those whose primary duties involve fire suppression. To protect against injury, forest and conservation workers must wear PPE and follow safety procedures.
Work Schedules
Most forest and conservation workers are employed full time, although part-time or seasonal work is common. Responding to an emergency may require workers to work additional hours at any time of day.
Getting Started
How to Become a Forest and Conservation Worker
Forest and conservation workers typically need a high school diploma before they begin working.
Forest and conservation workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive on-the-job training to attain competency.
Education
Forest and conservation workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and a valid driver’s license before they begin working. Some students take postsecondary courses in forestry and conservation topics, such as forest ecology, wildlife management, or resource conservation.
Training
After they are hired, forest and conservation workers typically get on-the-job training. They help experienced workers with labor-intensive tasks, such as planting or thinning trees. They also learn how to operate and maintain equipment safely.
In addition, some states may require that crews and individuals receive training, and sometimes a license, in the use of commercial pesticides. For more information, consult states’ agriculture department.
Advancement
To advance their careers and become forest and conservation technicians or conservation scientists or foresters, forest and conservation workers typically need an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resources, or a related field.
Job Outlook
Employment of forest and conservation workers is projected to decline 9 percent from 2022 to 2032.
Despite declining employment, about 1,800 openings for forest and conservation workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Automation of forest and conservation workers’ tasks is expected to reduce employment demand over the projections decade.
Despite heightened demand for U.S. timber and wood pellets, improved technology will lessen the need for forest and conservation workers to do certain tasks. For example, remote sensing allows fewer workers to count and identify trees. As automation of manual forestry tasks continues, fewer of these workers will be needed to do the same amount of work.
However, a rise in the number of wildfires may create some demand for the fire suppression activities of forest and conservation workers, especially in state-owned forest lands. As more people continue to build homes in western forests, there will be a need for workers to protect those areas from fires.
Contacts for More Information
For information about forestry and conservation careers and about schools offering education in forestry and conservation, visit
Society of American Foresters (SAF)
Student Conservation Association (SCA)
The Wildlife Society (TWS)
For information about careers in forestry, particularly conservation forestry and land management, visit
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of forest and conservation workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Conservation Scientists and Foresters |
Conservation scientists and foresters manage the land quality of forests, parks, rangelands, and other natural resources. |
Bachelor's degree | $64,420 |
|
Fire Inspectors |
Fire inspectors detect fire hazards, recommend prevention measures, ensure compliance with state and local fire regulations, and investigate causes of fires. |
See How to Become One | $65,800 |
|
Firefighters |
Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies involving life, property, or the environment. |
Postsecondary nondegree award | $51,680 |
|
Logging Workers |
Logging workers harvest forests to provide the raw material for many consumer goods and industrial products. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $46,580 |
|
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists |
Cartographers and photogrammetrists collect, measure, and interpret geographic information in order to create and update maps and charts for regional planning, education, and other purposes. |
Bachelor's degree | $71,890 |