Farming, Fishing & Forestry
Forest and Conservation Workers
Also called: Christmas Tree Farmer, Conservation Officer, Field Laborer, Forest Ranger
US median pay
$43,680
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-1.5%
declining
Openings a year (US)
2,200
14,700 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Maintain tallies of trees examined and counted during tree marking or measuring efforts.
- Explain or enforce regulations regarding camping, vehicle use, fires, use of buildings, or sanitation.
- Operate skidders, bulldozers, or other prime movers to pull a variety of scarification or site preparation equipment over areas to be regenerated.
- Spray or inject vegetation with insecticides to kill insects or to protect against disease or with herbicides to reduce competing vegetation.
- Thin or space trees, using power thinning saws.
- Identify diseased or undesirable trees and remove them, using power saws or hand saws.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Operations Monitoring2.8/5
- Operation and Control2.6/5
- Service Orientation2.4/5
Knowledge
- Public Safety and Security3.5/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.2/5
- Administration and Management3.2/5
- Geography3.0/5
- Biology3.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma44%
- Bachelor's degree23%
- Master's degree20%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.