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Forest and Conservation Workers in Washington

Considering working as a Forest and Conservation Workers in Washington? Here’s what you need to know. Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.

What do Forest and Conservation Workers Make in Washington?

For forest and conservation workers working in Washington, wages run about $43,480 per year (or roughly $20.90/hour).Pay can range from $38,480 at the 10th percentile to $59,990 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$38,480	$18.50
25th percentile	$38,880	$18.69
Median (50th)	$43,480	$20.90
75th percentile	$45,320	$21.79
90th percentile	$59,990	$28.84

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington compared to the national average — is 1.57, meaning that forest and conservation workers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, forest and conservation workers earn a median of $22,542 per year ($10.84/hour), higher than the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 360,249 forest and conservation workers nationwide. In Washington alone, approximately 200 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 140 forest and conservation workers.

Top States for Forest and Conservation Workers Employment

These states have the highest employment of forest and conservation workers work.

State	Number Employed
California	1,840
South Dakota	670
Wisconsin	280
Pennsylvania	220
Tennessee	220
Louisiana	210
South Carolina	210
Washington	200
Georgia	180
Oregon	140
Florida	100
Ohio	80
Illinois	60
New Jersey	60
Colorado	60
Idaho	60
Connecticut	50
Texas	50
Indiana	40

Highest-Paying States for Forest and Conservation Workers

The highest-paying states for forest and conservation workers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Illinois	$64,430
Ohio	$53,350
Pennsylvania	$49,160
Arkansas	$46,110
Idaho	$46,010
Colorado	$45,420
California	$43,680
Massachusetts	$43,630
Washington	$43,480
Missouri	$43,330

Skills

The most important forest and conservation workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for forest and conservation workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, forest and conservation workers typically:

• Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
• Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians.
• Perform fire protection or suppression duties, such as constructing fire breaks or disposing of brush.
• Confer with other workers to discuss issues, such as safety, cutting heights, or work needs.
• Maintain tallies of trees examined and counted during tree marking or measuring efforts.
• Explain or enforce regulations regarding camping, vehicle use, fires, use of buildings, or sanitation.
• Operate skidders, bulldozers, or other prime movers to pull a variety of scarification or site preparation equipment over areas to be regenerated.
• Spray or inject vegetation with insecticides to kill insects or to protect against disease or with herbicides to reduce competing vegetation.
• Thin or space trees, using power thinning saws.
• Identify diseased or undesirable trees and remove them, using power saws or hand saws.
• Select or cut trees according to markings or sizes, types, or grades.
• Prune or shear tree tops or limbs to control growth, increase density, or improve shape.

Work Activities

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Getting Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Processing Information
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: ESRI ArcGIS software, Microsoft Access

Related Careers

Careers similar to forest and conservation workers include:

• Soil and Plant Scientists
• Conservation Scientists
• Range Managers
• Foresters
• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
• Environmental Restoration Planners

Also Known As

Blister Rust Eradicator, Box Chipper, Box Cutter, Brusher, Chemical Sprayer, Chopper, Christmas Tree Farm Worker, Christmas Tree Farmer, Christmas Tree Grader, Christmas Tree Grower, Cone Picker, Conservation Coordinator, Conservation Officer, Conservation Specialist, Conservation Worker.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 45-4011.00