Career
Forest and conservation technicians
Help care for forests and natural lands.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks.
- Train and lead forest and conservation workers in seasonal activities, such as planting tree seedlings, putting out forest fires, and maintaining recreational facilities.
- Provide information about, and enforce, regulations, such as those concerning environmental protection, resource utilization, fire safety, and accident prevention.
- Patrol park or forest areas to protect resources and prevent damage.
- Map forest tract data using digital mapping systems.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $54,560 a year and 3,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Environmental Science and ConservationSee the degree →
- Natural Resources/Conservation, GeneralCIP 03.0101
- Environmental ScienceCIP 03.0104
- Forestry, GeneralCIP 03.0501
- Forest Resources Production and ManagementCIP 03.0510
- Forest Technology/TechnicianCIP 03.0511
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Foresters$76,400 · +2.2%
- Range Managers
- Forest and Conservation Workers$43,680 · -1.5%
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 · +5.3%
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$56,870 · +13.1%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.