# Foresters

> Manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. May inventory the type, amount, and location of standing timber, appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase, and draw up contracts for procurement. May determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quality, and soil stability, and how best to comply with environmental regulations. May devise plans for planting and growing new trees, monitor trees for healthy growth, and determine optimal harvesting schedules.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/foresters
- SOC code: 19-1032.00
- Career family: Science
- Median annual pay: $76,400 (10th percentile $50,790, 90th percentile $109,700)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.2%
- Openings a year: 900
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 72 |
| Investigative (I) | 58 |
| Artistic (A) | 4 |
| Social (S) | 22 |
| Enterprising (E) | 46 |
| Conventional (C) | 56 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 77/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 76/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 76/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 74/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 74/100)
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information (importance 73/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 72/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 71/100)
- Processing Information (importance 70/100)
- Scheduling Work and Activities (importance 70/100)

## Skills

Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Writing, Coordination, Systems Analysis

## Knowledge

Biology, English Language, Mathematics, Geography, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government, Administrative, Economics and Accounting, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

Area Forester, Consulting Utility Forester, District Forester, Environmental Protection Forester, Extension Forester, Fire Prevention Forester, Forest Ecologist, Forest Examiner, Forest Pathologist, Forest Silviculturist

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Natural Resources Conservation and Research](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0301) (CIP 0301, 1,081 colleges)
- [Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0302) (CIP 0302, 204 colleges)
- [Forestry](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0305) (CIP 0305, 132 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Forestry | $75,247 | $86,357 | $18,115 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | not reported | $82,861 | not reported |
| [California State University-Bakersfield](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-bakersfield-364) | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | $82,315 | not reported |
| [California Polytechnic State University-Humboldt](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-humboldt-361) | Forestry | $45,692 | $79,849 | $19,122 |
| [University of Southern California USC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $38,709 | $78,731 | $19,000 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $56,111 | $78,624 | $12,000 |
| [Tufts University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/tufts-university-2826) | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $37,492 | $77,753 | $15,500 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Forestry | $45,731 | $77,419 | $15,000 |

## Related careers

- [Forest and Conservation Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forest-and-conservation-technicians): $54,560 median pay
- [Range Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/range-managers): $73,010 median pay
- [Conservation Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/conservation-scientists): $73,010 median pay
- [Forest and Conservation Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forest-and-conservation-workers): $43,680 median pay
- [Environmental Restoration Planners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-restoration-planners): $82,220 median pay
- [Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-scientists-and-specialists-including-health): $82,220 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.