Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Forester salary
Average forester salary
$50,590
How much does a forester make?
The average forester salary in the United States is $50,590. Forester salaries typically range between $25,000 and $98,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for foresters is $24.32 per hour.
Forester salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Foresters earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
Level up your salary
Let Zippi find your next Forester job
Level up your salary
Let Zippi find your next Forester job
Where can a Forester earn more?
Forester salary estimates from across the web
Average forester salary by state
Highest paying states for foresters
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $86,804 | $41.73 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $59,596 | $28.65 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $58,448 | $28.10 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $55,073 | $26.48 |
| 5 | Ohio | $55,119 | $26.50 |
| 6 | Nebraska | $51,571 | $24.79 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $56,645 | $27.23 |
| 8 | Vermont | $52,433 | $25.21 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $53,433 | $25.69 |
| 10 | Delaware | $59,107 | $28.42 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $53,971 | $25.95 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $57,114 | $27.46 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $55,161 | $26.52 |
| 14 | Missouri | $52,974 | $25.47 |
| 15 | Nevada | $50,825 | $24.44 |
| 16 | Maine | $47,243 | $22.71 |
| 17 | Maryland | $57,372 | $27.58 |
| 18 | New York | $57,729 | $27.75 |
| 19 | California | $53,203 | $25.58 |
| 20 | Oregon | $54,226 | $26.07 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $47,878 | $23.02 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $57,094 | $27.45 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $42,530 | $20.45 |
| 24 | Florida | $46,217 | $22.22 |
| 25 | Virginia | $49,155 | $23.63 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $45,871 | $22.05 |
| 27 | Utah | $50,366 | $24.21 |
| 28 | Michigan | $48,009 | $23.08 |
| 29 | Arizona | $46,452 | $22.33 |
| 30 | Texas | $45,742 | $21.99 |
| 31 | Washington | $43,907 | $21.11 |
| 32 | Iowa | $40,608 | $19.52 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $40,333 | $19.39 |
| 34 | Illinois | $44,206 | $21.25 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $44,870 | $21.57 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $42,515 | $20.44 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $42,778 | $20.57 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $44,775 | $21.53 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $40,547 | $19.49 |
| 40 | Montana | $37,148 | $17.86 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $36,834 | $17.71 |
| 42 | Indiana | $37,538 | $18.05 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $36,984 | $17.78 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $38,318 | $18.42 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $33,575 | $16.14 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $37,661 | $18.11 |
| 47 | Colorado | $41,130 | $19.77 |
| 48 | Idaho | $34,569 | $16.62 |
| 49 | Kansas | $37,966 | $18.25 |
| 50 | Georgia | $37,339 | $17.95 |
| 51 | Alabama | $37,276 | $17.92 |
Highest paying cities for foresters
The highest-paying cities for foresters are New York, NY, Quincy, MA, and Eugene, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $57,818 | $27.80 |
| 2 | Quincy, MA | $56,939 | $27.37 |
| 3 | Eugene, OR | $55,317 | $26.59 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | $54,537 | $26.22 |
| 5 | Harrisburg, PA | $53,174 | $25.56 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $51,292 | $24.66 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $47,261 | $22.72 |
| 8 | Albuquerque, NM | $45,581 | $21.91 |
| 9 | Altamonte Springs, FL | $45,170 | $21.72 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $44,852 | $21.56 |
| 11 | Olympia, WA | $44,343 | $21.32 |
| 12 | Kingsport, TN | $40,605 | $19.52 |
| 13 | Charlotte, NC | $40,401 | $19.42 |
| 14 | Fort Collins, CO | $40,384 | $19.42 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $37,244 | $17.91 |
| 16 | Oklahoma City, OK | $37,050 | $17.81 |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | $36,977 | $17.78 |
| 18 | Little Rock, AR | $36,878 | $17.73 |
Forester salary details
A forester's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a forester's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| Average | $50,590 | $4,216 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying forester jobs
The highest paying types of foresters are forest engineer, chief unit forester, and forestry consultant.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Technician | $39,690 | $3,308 | $19.08 | 43,079 |
| Environmental Service Technician | $30,862 | $2,572 | $14.84 | 83,697 |
| Environmental Scientist | $60,208 | $5,017 | $28.95 | 56,425 |
Top companies hiring foresters now:
Which companies pay foresters the most?
Forester salaries at Sierra Pacific Industries and Portland General Electric are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average forester salary at companies like Northwell Health and Salt River Project are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Pacific Industries | $97,817 | $47.03 |
| 2 | Portland General Electric | $92,752 | $44.59 |
| 3 | Northwell Health | $87,564 | $42.10 |
| 4 | Salt River Project | $83,320 | $40.06 |
| 5 | Koch Industries | $79,710 | $38.32 |
| 6 | Forest Manufacturing Co | $75,473 | $36.29 |
| 7 | Student Conservation Association | $72,978 | $35.09 |
| 8 | Regions Bank | $70,399 | $33.85 |
| 9 | International Society of Arboriculture | $68,432 | $32.90 |
| 10 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | $61,857 | $29.74 |
| 11 | Bureau of Land Management | $61,208 | $29.43 |
| 12 | The Nature Conservancy | $57,822 | $27.80 |
| 13 | Washington State University | $56,597 | $27.21 |
| 14 | City of Detroit | $56,547 | $27.19 |
| 15 | Resource Management Service | $53,280 | $25.62 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $50,995 | $24.52 |
| 17 | CN Utility Consulting | $50,995 | $24.52 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania State Treasurer | $50,995 | $24.52 |
| 19 | The Davey Tree Expert Company | $50,888 | $24.47 |
| 20 | Brinker International | $50,475 | $24.27 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Forester salary by industry
The average forester salary varies across industries:
- The average forester salary in the insurance industry is $71,235, the highest of any industry.
- The average forester salary in the finance industry is $57,437.
- Foresters in the utilities industry earn an average salary of $40,010, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for foresters
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance | $71,235 | $34.25 |
| 2 | Professional | $57,437 | $27.61 |
| 3 | Government | $49,542 | $23.82 |
| 4 | Utilities | $40,010 | $19.24 |
High Paying Forester Jobs
Forester salary trends
The average forester salary has risen by $6,951 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average forester earned $43,639 annually, but today, they earn $50,590 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for foresters over the last decade.
Compare forester salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average forester salary over time
Compare forester salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Scotch Plains, NJ
Forester salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,600 | $24.32 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $48,900 | $23.49 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | $48,600 | $23.35 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $47,500 | $22.85 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $46,400 | $22.31 | +0.8% |
Recently added forester salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Stave Company | Forester | Somerset, KY | 12/16/2024 | $40,000 |
| TXNM Energy | Division Forester I-SR | Albuquerque, NM | 12/16/2024 | $66,267 |
| Eocene Environmental Group | Consulting Utility Forester | Fullerton/ | Fullerton, CA | 12/16/2024 | $50,088 |
| ACRT | Consulting Utility Forester | | Middletown, NY | 12/15/2024 | $41,740 |
| State of Ohio | Forester (Fire & Land Mgmt) | Perrysville, OH | 12/15/2024 | $51,465 |
| Davey Resource Group | Transmission Consulting Utility Forester-South Texas | San Antonio, TX | 12/15/2024 | $41,740 |
| Davey Resource Group | Consulting Utility Forester | Miami, FL | 12/15/2024 | $33,392 |
| Dasstateoh | Forester (Fire & Land Mgmt) | Perrysville, OH | 12/15/2024 | $51,465 |
| Forest Preserve District of Dupage County | Forester | West Chicago, IL | 12/14/2024 | $58,019 |
| Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A | Campbell Global Forester | Port Angeles, WA | 12/13/2024 | $67,725 |
Forester salary FAQs
Search for forester jobs