Life & Physical Science
Foresters
SOC 19-1032
Manage forest lands for timber, wildlife, and conservation goals.
The job
Median pay
$76k
$63k to $92k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
+2.2% projected
Openings a year
900
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
8/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
44th pct
More exposed than 44% of occupations · modeled estimate · 20th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
53/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 950 | 0.3 | 4.0× | $78k |
| California | 820 | 0.0 | 0.7× | $107k |
| Oregon | 670 | 0.3 | 5.1× | $81k |
| Wisconsin | 570 | 0.2 | 2.9× | $66k |
| Minnesota | 390 | 0.1 | 2.0× | $76k |
| North Carolina | 383 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $78k~ |
| Florida | 380 | 0.0 | 0.6× | $64k |
| Georgia | 370 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $77k |
| Michigan | 340 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $76k |
| Virginia | 340 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $72k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 310 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $78k |
| New Jersey | 294 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $83k~ |
| Idaho | 280 | 0.3 | 4.9× | $65k |
| New York | 280 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $74k |
| South Carolina | 250 | 0.1 | 1.6× | $87k |
| Alabama | 240 | 0.1 | 1.7× | $80k |
| Montana | 240 | 0.5 | 7.0× | $67k |
| Illinois | 220 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $82k |
| Colorado | 210 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $76k |
| Texas | 210 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $80k |
| Indiana | 160 | 0.0 | 0.8× | $61k |
| Ohio | 160 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $73k |
| Arkansas | 130 | 0.1 | 1.5× | $69k |
| Louisiana | 130 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $70k~ |
| Massachusetts | 130 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $90k |
| Washington DC | 126 | 0.2 | 2.7× | $75k~ |
| Kentucky | 120 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $56k |
| Maryland | 120 | 0.0 | 0.7× | $86k |
| Missouri | 120 | 0.0 | 0.6× | $63k |
| Oklahoma | 120 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $51k |
| South Dakota | 120 | 0.3 | 3.9× | $64k |
| Tennessee | 120 | 0.0 | 0.6× | $72k |
| Mississippi | 110 | 0.1 | 1.4× | $71k |
| New Hampshire | 110 | 0.2 | 2.4× | $65k |
| West Virginia | 100 | 0.1 | 2.1× | $63k |
| Alaska | 80 | 0.2 | 3.7× | $87k |
| Vermont | 80 | 0.3 | 3.9× | $81k |
| Nevada | 78 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $51k~ |
| Arizona | 70 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $67k |
| Maine | 70 | 0.1 | 1.6× | $66k |
| Nebraska | 67 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $62k~ |
| Connecticut | 60 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $85k |
| Wyoming | 60 | 0.2 | 3.2× | $68k |
| Hawaii | 53 | 0.1 | 1.3× | $69k~ |
| Iowa | 50 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $83k |
| New Mexico | 50 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $69k |
| Delaware | 44 | 0.1 | 1.4× | $78k~ |
| Kansas | 40 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $68k |
| Utah | 40 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $75k |
| North Dakota | 33 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $66k~ |
| Rhode Island | 30 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $83k~ |
Top metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV280 jobs · $75k median
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA240 jobs · $86k median
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA180 jobs · $90k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN130 jobs · $86k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA110 jobs · $108k median
- Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA110 jobs · $77k median
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA110 jobs · $108k median
- Salem, OR110 jobs · $89k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Foresters interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.