Forest and Conservation Workers: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Forest and Conservation Workers 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, and tree planters.

• Gather, package, or deliver forest products to buyers.
• Sow or harvest cover crops, such as alfalfa.
• Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
• Spray or inject vegetation with insecticides to kill insects or to protect against disease or with herbicides to reduce competing vegetation.

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Salary

Forest and Conservation Workers with little to no experience tend to make between $21940 and $22170 while the more experienced ones can earn over $37200 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Forest and Conservation Worker is to move to a higher paying state like PA. Right now, the highest paying states for Forest and Conservation Workers are PA, DC, MA, MO and WI.

However, a higher pay at PA doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at PA might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Forest and Conservation Worker is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Forest and Conservation Workers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Bachelor’s Degree followed by an Associate’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Forest and Conservation Worker.

What is the job like

62% of Forest and Conservation Workers said they were satisfied with their job and 57% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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