Forester Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of foresters to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035 (about 300 more jobs), with about 900 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $76,400 a year ranks 264th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +2.2%
- Openings a year
- 900
- Median pay
- $76,400
- Pay rank
- 264th of 825
Is employment of foresters growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of foresters to rise 2.2% (about 300 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 467th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 13,200 |
| Employment, 2035 | 13,500 |
| Projected change | +2.2% |
| Openings a year | 900 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 13,200 jobs here differ from the 10,430 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 900 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 679th most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 30 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for foresters rank?
The median of $76,400 a year ranks 264th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest and Conservation Technicians | -2.1% | 3,800 | $54,560 |
| Conservation Scientists | +5.3% | 2,100 | $73,010 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | +6.1% | 7,300 | $82,220 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | +6.7% | 1,400 | $78,850 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | +6.9% | 5,300 | $55,090 |
| Agricultural Technicians | +5.4% | 2,800 | $49,630 |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | +3.6% | 1,400 | $76,780 |
| Hydrologists | +1.5% | 400 | $96,600 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.