Forest and Conservation Technicians
Also called: Forest Technician, Forestry Aide, Forestry Technician (Forestry Tech), Resource TechnicianProvide 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.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 11 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 2.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 91% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $56,720 | $50,240 to $62,590 | 180 |
| Alaska | $68,160 | $56,800 to $81,720 | 500 |
| Arizona | $56,660 | $47,940 to $69,120 | 1,310 |
| Arkansas | $53,290 | $43,660 to $66,600 | 310 |
| California | $58,120 | $48,550 to $75,280 | 6,640 |
| Colorado | $57,550 | $49,520 to $71,410 | 1,040 |
| Florida | $52,420 | $41,890 to $68,140 | 380 |
| Georgia | $50,710 | $44,050 to $64,940 | 230 |
| Hawaii | $50,040 | $45,020 to $55,880 | 140 |
| Idaho | $53,290 | $47,940 to $70,570 | 2,020 |
| Illinois | $52,790 | $40,790 to $66,550 | 820 |
| Indiana | $48,660 | $41,660 to $57,140 | 150 |
| Iowa | $52,000 | $42,350 to $61,820 | 380 |
| Kansas | $41,660 | $31,260 to $58,430 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $43,660 | $37,590 to $58,430 | 240 |
| Louisiana | $59,370 | $49,910 to $73,630 | 210 |
| Maryland | $64,980 | $56,960 to $74,920 | 130 |
| Massachusetts | $56,480 | $53,210 to $62,620 | not published |
| Michigan | $45,760 | $39,520 to $58,990 | 560 |
| Minnesota | $58,990 | $50,630 to $70,160 | 580 |
| Mississippi | $52,420 | $43,720 to $64,940 | 250 |
| Missouri | $33,920 | $32,550 to $51,630 | 600 |
| Montana | $52,420 | $47,940 to $69,160 | 1,760 |
| Nebraska | $51,630 | $47,130 to $64,650 | 100 |
| Nevada | $54,230 | $44,600 to $73,240 | 750 |
| New Hampshire | $51,630 | $45,680 to $65,170 | 60 |
| New Mexico | $53,000 | $47,940 to $68,140 | 880 |
| New York | $58,030 | $50,480 to $70,310 | 190 |
| North Carolina | $48,360 | $41,190 to $58,420 | 650 |
| North Dakota | $68,600 | $53,360 to $68,600 | 160 |
| Ohio | $48,840 | $37,500 to $59,700 | 230 |
| Oklahoma | $53,930 | $48,280 to $67,020 | 130 |
| Oregon | $55,910 | $47,940 to $70,200 | 2,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,370 | $49,750 to $67,370 | 420 |
| South Carolina | $55,910 | $44,950 to $71,410 | 180 |
| South Dakota | $54,770 | $47,940 to $71,410 | 350 |
| Tennessee | $47,940 | $44,030 to $56,500 | 390 |
| Texas | $52,200 | $48,810 to $59,740 | 600 |
| Utah | $47,940 | $40,330 to $61,580 | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $54,160 | $47,200 to $70,920 | 50 |
| Virginia | $49,960 | $41,660 to $60,320 | 380 |
| Washington | $54,160 | $48,420 to $68,490 | 1,160 |
| West Virginia | $54,600 | $43,040 to $64,940 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $62,700 | $48,510 to $71,930 | 620 |
| Wyoming | $53,290 | $47,940 to $69,160 | 560 |
Nationally: $54,560. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 11 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide information about, and enforce, regulations, such as those concerning environmental protection, resource utilization, fire safety, and accident prevention. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Train and lead forest and conservation workers in seasonal activities, such as planting tree seedlings, putting out forest fires, and maintaining recreational facilities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Manage forest protection activities, including fire control, fire crew training, and coordination of fire detection and public education programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Patrol park or forest areas to protect resources and prevent damage. | Not published |
| AI + software | Map forest tract data using digital mapping systems. | Not published |
See all 20 tasks
| AI alone | Provide forestry education and general information, advice, and recommendations to woodlot owners, community organizations, and the general public. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop and maintain computer databases. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide technical support to forestry research programs in areas such as tree improvement, seed orchard operations, insect and disease surveys, or experimental forestry and forest engineering research. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform reforestation or forest renewal, including nursery and silviculture operations, site preparation, seeding and tree planting programs, cone collection, and tree improvement. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select and mark trees for thinning or logging, drawing detailed plans that include access roads. | Not published |
| AI + software | Survey, measure, and map access roads and forest areas such as burns, cut-over areas, experimental plots, and timber sales sections. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor activities of logging companies and contractors. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise forest nursery operations, timber harvesting, land use activities such as livestock grazing, and disease or insect control programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct laboratory or field experiments with plants, animals, insects, diseases, and soils. | Not published |
| AI + software | Measure distances, clean sightlines, and record data to help survey crews. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect trees and collect samples of plants, seeds, foliage, bark, and roots to locate insect and disease damage. | Not published |
| Not much | Plan and supervise construction of access routes and forest roads. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep records of the amount and condition of logs taken to mills. | Not published |
| AI alone | Issue fire permits, timber permits, and other forest use licenses. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- #45 Research biological or ecological phenomena
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Manage agricultural or forestry operations | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Assess characteristics of land or property | |||
| Perform agricultural activities | |||
| Advise others on environmental sustainability or green practices | |||
| Collect environmental or biological samples | |||
| Research biological or ecological phenomena |
Show all 15 activities
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Monitor environmental conditions | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Monitor safety or security of work areas, facilities, or properties | |||
| Design databases | |||
| Advise others on workplace health or safety issues | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer25%
- A SQL or database query22%
- Advice or a recommendation16%
- A document or report13%
- Data or a spreadsheet10%
How they worked with Claude
47% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for forest and conservation technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,421 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 3%
- 3 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 3%
- 4 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 3%
- 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 2,107 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 4%
- 3 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
- 4 Proofreaders and Copy Markers Very high -0.9% 3%
- 5 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 35% high school
- 5% postsecondary certificate
- 10% some college
- 35% associate's
- 14% bachelor's
- 1% post-bachelor's certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 16% high school
- 22% some college
- 11% associate's
- 31% bachelor's
- 11% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 7% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians” · 3,263 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians”
6 programs, such as Natural Resources/Conservation, General, Environmental Science and Forestry, General.
See all
- Natural Resources/Conservation, General
- Environmental Science
- Forestry, General
- Forest Resources Production and Management
- Forest Technology/Technician
- Forestry, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (Forest and Conservation Specialist; Forrest and Conservation Specialist). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Forest and Conservation Technicians” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/19-4071.00