Forest and Conservation Workers

What Forest and Conservation Workers Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

15.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
• English Languageimportance 3.5/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.2/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.2/5
• Geographyimportance 3.0/5
• Biologyimportance 3.0/5
• Communications and Mediaimportance 2.9/5
• Transportationimportance 2.9/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
• Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.7/5
• Telephone Conversations4.6/5
• In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.6/5
• Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings4.4/5

Related Careers

• Forest and Conservation Technicians
• Foresters
• Conservation Scientists
• Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
• Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians95% skill match
• Firefighters95% skill match
• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation95% skill match
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand95% skill match
• Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers95% skill match
• Floor Sanders and Finishers94% skill match
• Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators93% skill match
• Motorboat Operators93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
• Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
• Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
• Operation and Controlimportance 2.6/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.4/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Perseverance
• Cooperation
• Stress Tolerance
• Integrity
• Cautiousness
• Attention to Detail

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• InvestigativeMedium
• EnterprisingMedium
• SocialLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where forest and conservation workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Sioux Falls, SD-MN20.95× national avg
2. 2Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA14.01× national avg
3. 3Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA7.78× national avg
4. 4Salinas, CA6.53× national avg
5. 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2.73× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, VegetationCareer Change
• Tree Trimmers and PrunersCareer Change
• Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and GreenhouseLateral Move
• FirefightersCareer Change

See the full career path from Forest and Conservation Workers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.