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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

45-4011 Forest and Conservation Workers

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
6,760 5.1 % $15.76 $32,790 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.95 $12.23 $15.27 $17.51 $22.54
Annual Wage (2) $22,770 $25,430 $31,770 $36,420 $46,870


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 3,370 0.15 $15.22 $31,650
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,370 0.02 $17.02 $35,390
Social Advocacy Organizations 660 0.30 $16.29 $33,880
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions 120 0.07 $16.30 $33,910
Logging 100 0.21 $17.05 $35,450

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Social Advocacy Organizations 660 0.30 $16.29 $33,880
Logging 100 0.21 $17.05 $35,450
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 3,370 0.15 $15.22 $31,650
Sawmills and Wood Preservation 90 0.10 $16.00 $33,270
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions 120 0.07 $16.30 $33,910

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Logging 100 0.21 $17.05 $35,450
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,370 0.02 $17.02 $35,390
Services to Buildings and Dwellings (8) (8) $16.81 $34,970
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions 120 0.07 $16.30 $33,910
Social Advocacy Organizations 660 0.30 $16.29 $33,880


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 2,000 0.12 2.50 $14.60 $30,360
South Dakota 540 1.26 27.43 $14.61 $30,400
Washington 380 0.11 2.50 $14.68 $30,530
Tennessee 350 0.12 2.50 $12.66 $26,340
Wisconsin 340 0.12 2.61 $13.38 $27,830




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 540 1.26 27.43 $14.61 $30,400
Hawaii 130 0.21 4.61 $19.40 $40,350
Wisconsin 340 0.12 2.61 $13.38 $27,830
West Virginia 80 0.12 2.59 $14.23 $29,600
Tennessee 350 0.12 2.50 $12.66 $26,340




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pennsylvania 220 0.04 0.79 $23.54 $48,960
Massachusetts 90 0.03 0.57 $22.57 $46,940
Missouri (8) (8) (8) $22.20 $46,180
Minnesota 40 0.01 0.28 $20.24 $42,090
Ohio 40 0.01 0.14 $19.82 $41,230





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 180 0.03 0.64 $15.65 $32,540
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 150 0.03 0.68 $19.54 $40,640
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 110 0.04 0.82 $17.00 $35,350
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 110 0.01 0.24 $16.85 $35,050
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 100 0.05 1.12 $15.41 $32,060
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 70 0.07 1.52 $12.13 $25,220
Sioux Falls, SD 70 0.42 9.05 $14.85 $30,880
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 60 0.05 1.07 $15.25 $31,710
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 60 0.15 3.30 $11.61 $24,160
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 50 0.02 0.41 $23.08 $48,010




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sioux Falls, SD 70 0.42 9.05 $14.85 $30,880
Duluth, MN-WI 40 0.29 6.22 $17.17 $35,720
Salinas, CA 40 0.21 4.65 $16.83 $35,000
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 60 0.15 3.30 $11.61 $24,160
Worcester, MA-CT 30 0.11 2.38 $24.05 $50,030
Columbia, SC 40 0.10 2.07 $10.78 $22,420
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 70 0.07 1.52 $12.13 $25,220
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 100 0.05 1.12 $15.41 $32,060
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 60 0.05 1.07 $15.25 $31,710
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 110 0.04 0.82 $17.00 $35,350




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 30 0.01 0.21 $24.98 $51,950
Pittsburgh, PA (8) (8) (8) $24.44 $50,830
Worcester, MA-CT 30 0.11 2.38 $24.05 $50,030
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 50 0.02 0.41 $23.08 $48,010
St. Louis, MO-IL (8) (8) (8) $22.20 $46,180
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 150 0.03 0.68 $19.54 $40,640
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (8) (8) (8) $18.28 $38,020
Duluth, MN-WI 40 0.29 6.22 $17.17 $35,720
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 110 0.04 0.82 $17.00 $35,350
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 110 0.01 0.24 $16.85 $35,050

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 340 2.57 55.90 $14.95 $31,100
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 260 2.43 52.77 $15.29 $31,810
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 110 1.76 38.24 $12.78 $26,570
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 70 0.55 11.90 $13.68 $28,460
Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 60 1.17 25.48 $10.22 $21,250

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 340 2.57 55.90 $14.95 $31,100
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 260 2.43 52.77 $15.29 $31,810
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 110 1.76 38.24 $12.78 $26,570
Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 60 1.17 25.48 $10.22 $21,250
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 70 0.55 11.90 $13.68 $28,460

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $18.90 $39,310
Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 30 0.49 10.57 $18.23 $37,920
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 40 0.44 9.55 $18.18 $37,810
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $16.04 $33,350
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 260 2.43 52.77 $15.29 $31,810


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020