19 Series · SOC 19-4071
Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $54,560
- Median / year
- +0.5%
- 2024→2025
- $83,630
- Top 10% earn
- -3.2%
- Growth '24–'34
- 30,410
- Estimated US jobs
Forest and Conservation Technicians earn a median of $54,560 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $54,560, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $40,330 (10th percentile) to $83,630 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 30,410 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is North Dakota ($68,600).
The pay verdict
Forest and Conservation Technicians earn a median of $54,560, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 40% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #45 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 3.2% by 2034.
- $54,560
- Median annual wage
- Top 60%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #45 of 48
- in Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: North Dakota at $68,600. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Forest and Conservation Technicians moved from $45,500 in May 2019 to $54,560 in May 2025 (+19.9%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Forest and Conservation Technicians sits -4.5 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Forest and Conservation Technicians (SOC 19-4071) has a national median of $54,560 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $40,330 to $83,630, and the published mean is $59,060. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 30,410 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 45 state or territory areas and 172 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $54,310 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $54,560 in May 2025, a rise of $250 (+0.5%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -3.2% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 3,900 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. North Dakota pays the highest state median at $68,600, which is +26% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Baton Rouge, LA at $87,500. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$54,560
per year
Median Hourly
$26.23/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$59,060
average
Employment
30,410
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Forest and Conservation Technicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$54,560 Bottom 40% higher than 40% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 (this entry) | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$54,560 · 40th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Forest and Conservation Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Medical Scientists, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $103410
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $90150
- Environmental Scient…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $82220
- Chemists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $91240
- Clinical and Counsel…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.2%, Median annual wage $100580
- Life, Physical, and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $62280
- Biological Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $57510
- School Psychologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $95990
- Chemical Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $60390
- Biological Scientist…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $98920
- Urban and Regional P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $89320
- Social Scientists an…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.7%, Median annual wage $101110
- Environmental Scienc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $55090
- Biochemists and Biop…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $127410
- Social Science Resea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $61990
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $61560
- Forest and Conservat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.2%, Median annual wage $54560
- Conservation Scienti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $73010
- Geoscientists, Excep…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $101920
- Physical Scientists,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $122570
- Physicists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $172250
- Forensic Science Tec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.8%, Median annual wage $72060
- Microbiologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $87990
- Psychologists, All O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $110840
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-3.2%
Declining
Annual Openings
3,900
per year (projected)
Employment Change
-1,100
33,800 (2024) → 32,700 (2034)
Typical Education
Associate's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Forest and Conservation Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks.
- ▸ Keep records of the amount and condition of logs taken to mills.
- ▸ Manage forest protection activities, including fire control, fire crew training, and coordination of fire detection and public education programs.
- ▸ Monitor activities of logging companies and contractors.
- ▸ Perform reforestation or forest renewal, including nursery and silviculture operations, site preparation, seeding and tree planting programs, cone collection, and tree improvement.
- ▸ Train and lead forest and conservation workers in seasonal activities, such as planting tree seedlings, putting out forest fires, and maintaining recreational facilities.
- ▸ Plan and supervise construction of access routes and forest roads.
- ▸ Select and mark trees for thinning or logging, drawing detailed plans that include access roads.
- ▸ Supervise forest nursery operations, timber harvesting, land use activities such as livestock grazing, and disease or insect control programs.
- ▸ Provide information about, and enforce, regulations, such as those concerning environmental protection, resource utilization, fire safety, and accident prevention.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Forest and Conservation Technicians pay history, 2019–2025
Published national median across 7 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $45,500 |
| 2020 | $38,940 |
| 2021 | $39,290 |
| 2022 | $41,520 |
| 2023 | $51,880 |
| 2024 | $54,310 |
| 2025 | $54,560 |
2019 median
$45,500
2025 median
$54,560
2019–2025 change
+$9,060 (+19.9%)
Avg/year
+3.1%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2019 | $45,500 | First banked release | 19,060 |
| May 2020 | $38,940 | -14.4% | 30,150 |
| May 2021 | $39,290 | +0.9% | 30,440 |
| May 2022 | $41,520 | +5.7% | 29,120 |
| May 2023 | $51,880 | +25.0% | 28,740 |
| May 2024 | $54,310 | +4.7% | 31,080 |
| May 2025 | $54,560 | +0.5% | 30,410 |
Across the 7 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $45,500 in May 2019 to $54,560 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.1% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 19,060 in May 2019 to 30,410 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 45 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $68,600 | +26% above national |
| 2 | Alaska | $68,160 | +25% above national |
| 3 | Maryland | $64,980 | +19% above national |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $62,700 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Louisiana | $59,370 | +9% above national |
| 6 | Minnesota | $58,990 | +8% above national |
| 7 | California | $58,120 | +7% above national |
| 8 | New York | $58,030 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Colorado | $57,550 | +5% above national |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $57,370 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Alabama | $56,720 | +4% above national |
| 12 | Arizona | $56,660 | +4% above national |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $56,480 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Oregon | $55,910 | +2% above national |
| 15 | South Carolina | $55,910 | +2% above national |
| 16 | South Dakota | $54,770 | same as national |
| 17 | West Virginia | $54,600 | same as national |
| 18 | Nevada | $54,230 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Vermont | $54,160 | 1% below national |
| 20 | Washington | $54,160 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $53,930 | 1% below national |
| 22 | Arkansas | $53,290 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Idaho | $53,290 | 2% below national |
| 24 | Wyoming | $53,290 | 2% below national |
| 25 | New Mexico | $53,000 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Illinois | $52,790 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Florida | $52,420 | 4% below national |
| 28 | Mississippi | $52,420 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Montana | $52,420 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Texas | $52,200 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Iowa | $52,000 | 5% below national |
| 32 | Nebraska | $51,630 | 5% below national |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $51,630 | 5% below national |
| 34 | Georgia | $50,710 | 7% below national |
| 35 | Hawaii | $50,040 | 8% below national |
| 36 | Virginia | $49,960 | 8% below national |
| 37 | Ohio | $48,840 | 10% below national |
| 38 | Indiana | $48,660 | 11% below national |
| 39 | North Carolina | $48,360 | 11% below national |
| 40 | Tennessee | $47,940 | 12% below national |
| 41 | Utah | $47,940 | 12% below national |
| 42 | Michigan | $45,760 | 16% below national |
| 43 | Kentucky | $43,660 | 20% below national |
| 44 | Kansas | $41,660 | 24% below national |
| 45 | Missouri | $33,920 | 38% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 94 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baton Rouge, LA | $87,500 | +60% above national |
| 2 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $74,410 | +36% above national |
| 3 | Carson City, NV | $67,040 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $66,930 | +23% above national |
| 5 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $65,690 | +20% above national |
| 6 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $65,670 | +20% above national |
| 7 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $64,940 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,440 | +18% above national |
| 9 | Asheville, NC | $64,000 | +17% above national |
| 10 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $63,820 | +17% above national |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $63,650 | +17% above national |
| 12 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $63,300 | +16% above national |
| 13 | Alexandria, LA | $63,270 | +16% above national |
| 14 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $63,150 | +16% above national |
| 15 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $63,040 | +16% above national |
| 16 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $62,400 | +14% above national |
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $61,880 | +13% above national |
| 18 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $61,820 | +13% above national |
| 19 | Tucson, AZ | $61,210 | +12% above national |
| 20 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $61,110 | +12% above national |
| 21 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $61,110 | +12% above national |
| 22 | Grants Pass, OR | $61,020 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Corvallis, OR | $60,980 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $60,270 | +10% above national |
| 25 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60,060 | +10% above national |
| 26 | Salinas, CA | $59,920 | +10% above national |
| 27 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59,610 | +9% above national |
| 28 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $59,590 | +9% above national |
| 29 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $59,030 | +8% above national |
| 30 | Bend, OR | $58,990 | +8% above national |
| 31 | Missoula, MT | $58,990 | +8% above national |
| 32 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $58,930 | +8% above national |
| 33 | Colorado Springs, CO | $58,590 | +7% above national |
| 34 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $58,450 | +7% above national |
| 35 | Santa Fe, NM | $58,280 | +7% above national |
| 36 | Albuquerque, NM | $57,700 | +6% above national |
| 37 | Boise City, ID | $57,660 | +6% above national |
| 38 | Rapid City, SD | $57,660 | +6% above national |
| 39 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $57,390 | +5% above national |
| 40 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $57,160 | +5% above national |
| 41 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,610 | +4% above national |
| 42 | Salem, OR | $56,490 | +4% above national |
| 43 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $55,470 | +2% above national |
| 44 | Green Bay, WI | $54,950 | +1% above national |
| 45 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $54,940 | +1% above national |
| 46 | Cleveland, TN | $54,900 | +1% above national |
| 47 | Corpus Christi, TX | $54,560 | same as national |
| 48 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $54,500 | same as national |
| 49 | Helena, MT | $54,160 | 1% below national |
| 50 | Medford, OR | $54,160 | 1% below national |
| 51 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $54,160 | 1% below national |
| 52 | Pittsburgh, PA | $54,060 | 1% below national |
| 53 | Johnson City, TN | $53,730 | 2% below national |
| 54 | Billings, MT | $53,290 | 2% below national |
| 55 | Bozeman, MT | $53,290 | 2% below national |
| 56 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $52,840 | 3% below national |
| 57 | Visalia, CA | $52,690 | 3% below national |
| 58 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $52,420 | 4% below national |
| 59 | Ogden, UT | $52,420 | 4% below national |
| 60 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $52,420 | 4% below national |
| 61 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $52,310 | 4% below national |
| 62 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $52,280 | 4% below national |
| 63 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,540 | 6% below national |
| 64 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $51,360 | 6% below national |
| 65 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $50,620 | 7% below national |
| 66 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $50,510 | 7% below national |
| 67 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,450 | 8% below national |
| 68 | Farmington, NM | $50,130 | 8% below national |
| 69 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $50,080 | 8% below national |
| 70 | Yakima, WA | $49,940 | 8% below national |
| 71 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,630 | 9% below national |
| 72 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $49,100 | 10% below national |
| 73 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $48,610 | 11% below national |
| 74 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $48,380 | 11% below national |
| 75 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $48,360 | 11% below national |
| 76 | Knoxville, TN | $47,370 | 13% below national |
| 77 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,240 | 13% below national |
| 78 | Omaha, NE-IA | $47,130 | 14% below national |
| 79 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $46,180 | 15% below national |
| 80 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $46,010 | 16% below national |
| 81 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $45,390 | 17% below national |
| 82 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $45,340 | 17% below national |
| 83 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $45,330 | 17% below national |
| 84 | Madison, WI | $44,950 | 18% below national |
| 85 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $44,950 | 18% below national |
| 86 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $43,500 | 20% below national |
| 87 | Richmond, VA | $38,790 | 29% below national |
| 88 | Cleveland, OH | $37,450 | 31% below national |
| 89 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $37,080 | 32% below national |
| 90 | Jacksonville, FL | $36,610 | 33% below national |
| 91 | Reno, NV | $35,930 | 34% below national |
| 92 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $35,360 | 35% below national |
| 93 | Jefferson City, MO | $33,920 | 38% below national |
| 94 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $33,920 | 38% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 19 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Agricultural Technicians
SOC 19-4012
Animal Scientists
SOC 19-1011
Anthropologists and Archeologists
SOC 19-3091
Astronomers
SOC 19-2011
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
SOC 19-2021
Showing 5 of 47 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($54,560 here) and reported employment (30,410 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Forest and Conservation Technicians make? ▼
Where does Forest and Conservation Technicians pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Forest and Conservation Technicians the most? ▼
What education do Forest and Conservation Technicians need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Forest and Conservation Technicians? ▼
Is Forest and Conservation Technicians a good career? ▼
How does Forest and Conservation Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Forest and Conservation Technicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Forest and Conservation Technicians pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $68,600/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: North Dakota leads at $68,600/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.