Occupation salary profile

Foresters

SOC 19-1032 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$76,400
▲ +8.12% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$85,000
▲ +17.24% YoY · 18 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$79,170
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
10,430
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Foresters

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 18 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$50,790$61,146
25th$62,710$74,840
Median (50th)$76,400$85,000
75th$91,640$93,667
90th — top pay$109,700$128,478
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $85,000 for Foresters — 11.3% above the BLS national median of $76,400.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Foresters

BLS projects employment of foresters to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
13,200 → 13,500
+300 jobs
Projected change
+2.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $85,000
Change vs prior year +17.24%
After inflation (CPI-U) +13.68%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Foresters

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Monitoring4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.9
  • Writing3.8
  • Coordination3.6
  • Systems Analysis3.6
Top knowledge areas
  • Biology4.1
  • English Language3.7
  • Mathematics3.7
  • Geography3.6
  • Administration and Management3.5
  • Customer and Personal Service3.4
  • Law and Government3.3
  • Administrative3.3
Software and technology used
ESRI ArcGIS softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointGeographic information system GIS systemsMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordESRI ArcViewForest MetrixForest vegetation simulatorsForest yield softwareFountains Forestry TwoDogGeographic information system GIS softwareGlobal positioning system GPS softwareIBM NotesMapping software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What foresters do

  • Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources.
  • Plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals.
  • Determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage.
  • Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
  • Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
  • Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.
  • Supervise activities of other forestry workers.
  • Provide advice and recommendations, as a consultant on forestry issues, to private woodlot owners, firefighters, government agencies or to companies.
Also called
Area ForesterProcurement ForesterSilviculturistUrban ForesterDistrict ForesterEnvironmental Protection ForesterFire Prevention ForesterForest SilviculturistResource ForesterService Forester
More job titles for this occupation (14)
Consulting Utility ForesterExtension ForesterForest EcologistForest ExaminerForest PathologistForestry ConsultantForestry ScientistForestry SpecialistLand Management ForesterOperations ForesterSilviculture ForesterTimber Management SpecialistTransmission ForesterUtility Forester

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.