Foresters Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 10K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$76,400
Median hourly
$37
Average annual
$79,170
Typical range
$50,790–$109,700
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Foresters is $76,400 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $37 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $50,790 and $109,700 a year. There are roughly 10K people employed as foresters in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Foresters.
- Hourly
- $36.73
- Daily
- $294
- Weekly
- $1,469
- Bi-weekly
- $2,938
- Monthly
- $6,367
- Annual
- $76,400
$76,400 a year is around the 50th percentile for Foresterss. The median is $76,400.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$107,120
- 2Massachusetts$89,650
- 3Alaska$87,210
- 4South Carolina$86,780
- 5Maryland$86,100
- 6Connecticut$84,820
- 7Iowa$83,000
- 8Illinois$82,160
- 9Oregon$81,450
- 10Vermont$80,750
- 11Texas$80,370
- 12Alabama$79,530
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$112,560
- 2Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$107,750
- 3Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$107,690
- 4Fresno, CA$102,540
- 5San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$93,340
- 6Columbia, SC$89,990
- 7Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$89,780
- 8Salem, OR$89,220
- 9Birmingham, AL$87,050
- 10Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$86,310
- 11Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$86,070
- 12Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$86,060
Related job titles
Employers advertise Foresters roles under these titles.
- Area Forester
- Consulting Utility Forester
- District Forester
- Environmental Protection Forester
- Extension Forester
- Fire Prevention Forester
- Forest Examiner
- Forest Manager
- Forest Pathologist
- Forest Practices Field Coordinator
- Forest Supervisor
- Forester
- Forestry Consultant
- Forestry Scientist
- Forestry Specialist
- Land Management Forester
Related occupations
- Forest and Conservation Technicians$54,560
- Conservation Scientists$73,010
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220
- Forest and Conservation Workers$43,680
- Soil and Plant Scientists$78,850
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$56,870
- Managers, All Other$141,900
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320
What a Foresters does
- Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.
- Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
- Plan and implement projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality.
- 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.
- Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
- Map forest area soils and vegetation to estimate the amount of standing timber and future value and growth.
- Monitor forest-cleared lands to ensure that they are reclaimed to their most suitable end use.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Foresters make?
- The median annual wage for Foresters is $76,400 ($37 per hour). Pay ranges from about $50,790 at the 10th percentile to $109,700 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Foresters?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $79,170, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Foresterss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $107,120.
- Is Foresters a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 10K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Foresters do?
- Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.; Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.; Plan and implement projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality..