Forest and Conservation Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for forest and conservation workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$57,470
- Idaho$54,650
- Massachusetts$53,730
- Virginia$52,750
- Pennsylvania$51,830
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Texas$30,990
- New Mexico$36,830
- Florida$38,230
- Tennessee$38,580
- Missouri$40,200
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $57,470 | $56,330 | $28 | +31.6% | 60 |
| 2 | Idaho | $54,650 | $59,460 | $26 | +25.1% | — |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $53,730 | $51,890 | $26 | +23% | 120 |
| 4 | Virginia | $52,750 | $54,560 | $25 | +20.8% | — |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $51,830 | $50,250 | $25 | +18.7% | 210 |
| 6 | Oregon | $49,570 | $46,010 | $24 | +13.5% | 70 |
| 7 | Ohio | $49,270 | $48,470 | $24 | +12.8% | 160 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $47,140 | $47,310 | $23 | +7.9% | 30 |
| 9 | Iowa | $45,490 | $33,600 | $22 | +4.1% | 40 |
| 10 | South Carolina | $45,390 | $44,050 | $22 | +3.9% | 40 |
| 11 | Washington | $45,310 | $44,430 | $22 | +3.7% | 460 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $45,100 | $41,600 | $22 | +3.3% | 40 |
| 13 | California | $42,980 | $43,680 | $21 | -1.6% | 2,270 |
| 14 | Georgia | $42,930 | $34,150 | $21 | -1.7% | 160 |
| 15 | Colorado | $42,460 | $37,690 | $20 | -2.8% | 110 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $41,130 | $36,420 | $20 | -5.8% | 300 |
| 17 | Nevada | $41,100 | $35,760 | $20 | -5.9% | — |
| 18 | South Dakota | $41,060 | $38,210 | $20 | -6% | 490 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $40,730 | $39,900 | $20 | -6.8% | 150 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $40,730 | $39,590 | $20 | -6.8% | 30 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $40,370 | $34,010 | $19 | -7.6% | 40 |
| 22 | Montana | $40,280 | $32,600 | $19 | -7.8% | — |
| 23 | Missouri | $40,200 | $37,170 | $19 | -8% | 120 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $38,580 | $40,320 | $19 | -11.7% | 210 |
| 25 | Florida | $38,230 | $36,780 | $18 | -12.5% | 70 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $36,830 | $36,370 | $18 | -15.7% | 30 |
| 27 | Texas | $30,990 | $30,470 | $15 | -29.1% | — |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 29 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $60,320 | $55,660 | — |
| 2 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $52,850 | $46,820 | 30 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | $51,330 | $51,360 | 30 |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $51,300 | $51,790 | 80 |
| 5 | Rapid City, SD | $50,110 | $49,360 | 40 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $48,470 | $51,340 | — |
| 7 | Columbus, OH | $47,730 | $46,920 | 40 |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $45,530 | $49,110 | 30 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,510 | $48,070 | 220 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $43,680 | $41,790 | 370 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing forest and conservation workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $56,800 | $54,500 | — |
| 2 | Educational Services | $51,610 | $47,800 | 30 |
| 3 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $51,610 | $47,800 | 30 |
| 4 | Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | $44,740 | $45,170 | 100 |
| 5 | Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | $44,740 | $45,170 | 100 |
| 6 | Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $44,740 | $45,170 | 100 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $43,680 | $43,800 | 3,880 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $43,680 | $43,820 | 3,890 |
| 9 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $43,680 | $43,340 | 2,880 |
| 10 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $43,680 | $43,350 | 2,890 |
| 11 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $43,680 | $43,680 | 6,050 |
| 12 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $43,680 | $43,800 | 3,880 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do forest and conservation workers make in the U.S.?
The median forest and conservation workers salary in the United States is $43,680 per year (mean $43,680), and about 80% earn between $33,780 and $57,220.
How much do forest and conservation workers make per hour?
Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $43,680 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays forest and conservation workers the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for forest and conservation workers at $57,470 per year (median $56,330).
What is the job outlook for forest and conservation workers?
Employment is projected to change -4.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,000 openings per year.