Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-4071 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$54,309
$26.11/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Forest and Conservation Technicians is $54,309 per year ($26.11/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $42,557 and $66,019 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $80,787 per year. There are approximately 31,080 forest and conservation technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Provide technical assistance regarding the conservation of soil, water, forests, or related natural resources. May compile data pertaining to size, content, condition, and other characteristics of forest tracts under the direction of foresters, or train and lead forest workers in forest propagation and fire prevention and suppression. May assist conservation scientists in managing, improving, and protecting rangelands and wildlife habitats.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-3.2%
Slower than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
34K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
21K
$55,810
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
5K
$46,950
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
2K
$50,090
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
1K
$53,960
Social Advocacy Organizations
NAICS 813300
650
$44,390
Wage range across top 5 industries: $44,390 to $55,810 (26% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.40
$36,192
P25
$20.46
$42,557
P50MEDIAN
$26.11
$54,309
P75
$31.74
$66,019
P90
$38.84
$80,787
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average forest and conservation technicians salary?
The national median salary for Forest and Conservation Technicians is $54,309 per year ($26.11/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $42,557 and $66,019 annually.
How much do top-earning forest and conservation technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Forest and Conservation Technicians is $80,787 per year ($38.84/hr). The 75th percentile is $66,019 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for forest and conservation technicians?
Entry-level Forest and Conservation Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,192 per year ($17.40/hr). The 25th percentile is $42,557 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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