Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2004

19-1032 Foresters

Manage 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. May determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quality, and soil stability, and how best to comply with environmental regulations. May devise plans for planting and growing new trees, monitor trees for healthy growth, and determine the best time for harvesting. Develop forest management plans for public and privately-owned forested lands.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
10,250 2.3 % $23.91 $49,730 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.31 $17.91 $23.19 $29.08 $34.64
Annual Wage (2) $29,770 $37,260 $48,230 $60,500 $72,050

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
State government (OES designation) 3,150 $20.41 $42,460
Federal government (OES designation) 2,500 $29.06 $60,440
Local government (OES designation) 1,080 $22.33 $46,440
Sawmills and wood preservation 1,040 $24.34 $50,620
Logging 380 $22.74 $47,300

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Power generation and supply 160 $30.21 $62,830
Federal government (OES designation) 2,500 $29.06 $60,440
Pulp, paper, and paperboard mills 160 $28.05 $58,340
Management of companies and enterprises 180 $27.87 $57,980
Other wood product manufacturing 160 $25.93 $53,930

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Montana 410 $25.47 $52,980 0.102%
Idaho 330 $21.29 $44,290 0.057%
Mississippi 480 $16.78 $34,890 0.044%
Oregon 670 $28.55 $59,390 0.043%
Alaska 120 $29.88 $62,140 0.041%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
District of Columbia 30 $54.87 $114,130 0.005%
Alaska 120 $29.88 $62,140 0.041%
California 790 $28.69 $59,670 0.005%
Oregon 670 $28.55 $59,390 0.043%
Colorado 210 $27.29 $56,770 0.010%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Missoula, MT MSA 110 $26.48 $55,070 0.201%
Olympia, WA PMSA 100 $26.54 $55,200 0.115%
Redding, CA MSA 50 $30.99 $64,470 0.076%
Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA 90 $28.12 $58,490 0.064%
Duluth-Superior, MN-WI MSA 60 $23.94 $49,800 0.054%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA 80 $40.97 $85,230 0.003%
Denver, CO PMSA 40 $34.40 $71,560 0.004%
Atlanta, GA MSA 50 $33.89 $70,490 0.002%
Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA PMSA 150 $31.96 $66,470 0.016%
Redding, CA MSA 50 $30.99 $64,470 0.076%

About May 2004 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. 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 mean 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.

All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

May 2004 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2004 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: June 02, 2005