What Does a Forestry Worker Do?
Crowded young forests grow slowly and burn easily. Forestry workers thin them out, replant logged and burned ground and clear brush for state agencies, timber companies and university forests, often at remote sites and sometimes on the fire line itself. Much of the work is seasonal.
Forestry Worker Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a forestry worker include:
- Plant tree seedlings by hand with planting bars or hoedads on logged or burned ground.
- Thin young stands with chainsaws or brush saws to the spacing the forester sets.
- Clear brush and slash from fire lines, roadsides and trails.
- Spray or cut invasive plants under supervision, following label rules.
- Build and repair fences, gates, water bars and culverts on forest roads.
- Fight wildfires on hand crews and mop up hot spots after a burn.
- Sharpen, fuel and maintain chainsaws, hand tools and crew vehicles.
- Collect cones and seed for nurseries during the fall collection season.
- Count and tag trees or seedlings for survival and growth surveys.
- Load and haul equipment, seedlings and supplies to remote work sites.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a forestry worker, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Chainsaw and brush saw handling
- Hand planting technique
- Basic wildland firefighter training (red card)
- Physical endurance in heat, cold and rain
- Safety habits: helmet, chaps, eye and ear protection
- Following crew instructions exactly
- Driver's license for crew trucks
- Teamwork on long, remote days
Education and Training
Most forestry workers learn on the job over several months, a pattern BLS classes as moderate-term on-the-job training. A high school diploma is typical. Bear in mind that you are more likely to be hired onto a year-round crew if you already hold chainsaw and wildland fire training. With experience, you could progress from Forestry Worker I to II, crew lead or forestry technician.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $37,440 - $45,760 per year, with a median of $43,680.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Forest and Conservation Workers.
BLS projects employment of forest and conservation workers to decline about 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 2,200 openings a year. Many jobs are seasonal, with planting and fire work at different times of year depending on the region, so crews often rehire each season. Working on a forestry crew can be tiring and, at times, dangerous. Workers who stay safe, earn certifications and return every season tend to move into year-round posts.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Forest and conservation workers.