Forest and Conservation Workers Salary: $44,912 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 5,630 forest and conservation workers nationally earn a mean of $44,912. Employment in the series shown fell about 15% from the first to the last year; CA accounts for about 790 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Forest and Conservation Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about forest and conservation workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a forest and conservation workers?
Forest and Conservation Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 45-4011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,630 workers.
What does a forest and conservation workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a forest and conservation workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $43,680 (May 2024 in our extract).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,470 |
| 25th percentile | $44,964 |
| Median (50th) | $44,964 |
| 75th percentile | $44,964 |
| 90th percentile | $47,105 |
What education do you need?
For Forest and Conservation Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Coordination, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is forest and conservation workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.0% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 0.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 0.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,630.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do forest and conservation workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,630 | 17.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,160 | 13.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,160 | 13.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,160 | 13.1% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 2,980 | 9.4% |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 2,980 | 9.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Forest and Conservation Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation Scientists | 25,590 | $67,950 |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,310 | $100,830 |
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 92,580 | $49,440 |
| Human Resources Managers | 215,520 | $140,030 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 156,260 | $51,500 |
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | 2,780 | $52,380 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 93,680 | $92,430 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Forest and Conservation Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,630 Workforce in 2023
The Forest and Conservation Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$44,912 Average Wage
In 2023, Forest and Conservation Workers earned an average of $44,912.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Salary distribution for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
0.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,740 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 0.0%
5,740 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 0.0%
Historical employment trends and future projections for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Forest and Conservation Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Forest and Conservation Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-25.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 22.4% growth (Current: $49,555)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 790 employees, $44,803 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 270 employees, $44,274 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 230 employees, $45,271 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 160 employees, $44,346 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 100 employees, $44,460 avg wage
- Salinas MSA: 30 employees, $49,555 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Forest and Conservation Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Forest and Conservation Workers in 2023 was 5,630 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Forest and Conservation Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Forest and Conservation Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Skills
Forest and Conservation Workers need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Coordination, Speaking.
Required skills for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Forest and Conservation Workers include Public Safety and Security, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Geography.
Knowledge areas required for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Forest and Conservation Workers include Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Static Strength, Stamina.
Required abilities for Forest and Conservation Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Forest and Conservation Workers.
Daily Activities
Forest and Conservation Workers spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Forest and Conservation Workers.
About
Forest and Conservation Workers
The average yearly wage for Forest and Conservation Workers was $44,912 in 2023.
SOC Code
45-4011 - Forest and Conservation Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Forest and Conservation Workers reports an average salary of $44,912.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,630 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is 0.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.