Forest and Conservation Workers

Career Overview

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.

Also Known As

• Forest Ranger
• Forestry Support Specialist
• Tree Farmer
• Tree Planter

Alternate Job Titles

• Blister Rust Eradicator
• Box Chipper
• Box Cutter
• Brusher
• Chemical Sprayer
• Chopper
• Christmas Tree Farm Worker
• Christmas Tree Farmer
• Christmas Tree Grader
• Christmas Tree Grower
• Cone Picker
• Conservation Coordinator
• Conservation Officer
• Conservation Specialist
• Conservation Worker

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Create field maps using geographic information systems technology.

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Problem Sensitivity
• Oral Expression
• Static Strength
• Trunk Strength
• Flexibility of Closure
• Multilimb Coordination
• Dynamic Strength
• Stamina
• Near Vision

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Perseverance
• Cooperation
• Stress Tolerance
• Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Independence
• Achievement
• Support
• Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• ESRI ArcGIS software
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Project
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Backhoes
• Backpack sprayers
• Brush hogs
• Chain saws
• Claw hammers
• Dibblers
• Directional compasses
• Dump trucks
• Electronic measuring devices
• Epicormic knives
• Fire plows
• Fire trucks
• Four wheel drive 4WD vehicles
• Geodetic ground global positioning system GPS receivers
• Hand saws

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
• Telephone Conversations
• In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$33,050
Median	$43,680
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$54,190

Workers Employed Nationally: 5,630

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.