Foresters pay in the U.S.
$79,170avg. a year
$38.06 an hour · 10,430 employed
Foresters in the U.S. earn an average of $79,170 a year and a median of $76,400. Pay is highest in California ($110,770) and lowest in Nevada ($60,140).
$76,400Median pay
$38.06Average hourly
+20%Avg. pay since 2020
10,430Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for foresters
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1820 jobs
California
$110,770
$53.25 an hour
2220 jobs
Illinois
$86,700
$41.69 an hour
360 jobs
Connecticut
$86,170
$41.43 an hour
480 jobs
Alaska
$86,060
$41.38 an hour
5130 jobs
Massachusetts
$86,020
$41.36 an hour
6950 jobs
Washington
$84,550
$40.65 an hour
7250 jobs
South Carolina
$84,380
$40.57 an hour
850 jobs
Iowa
$83,390
$40.09 an hour
9
District of Columbia
$82,930
$39.87 an hour
10210 jobs
Texas
$82,420
$39.63 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Foresters pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $70k$70k–$75k$75k–$82k$82k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $119,020 | $57.22 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $118,560 | $57.00 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $93,500 | $44.95 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $89,200 | $42.89 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $87,080 | $41.87 |
| Salem, OR | $86,510 | $41.59 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $85,330 | $41.02 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $81,390 | $39.13 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Conservation Scientists$77,130
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,020
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Foresters pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $75,660 | $79,530 | 240 |
| Alaska | $86,060 | $87,210 | 80 |
| Arizona | $69,670 | $67,200 | 70 |
| Arkansas | $68,440 | $69,240 | 130 |
| California | $110,770 | $107,120 | 820 |
| Colorado | $74,560 | $76,400 | 210 |
| Connecticut | $86,170 | $84,820 | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $82,930 | $74,710 | – |
| Florida | $71,970 | $64,130 | 380 |
| Georgia | $78,430 | $76,970 | 370 |
| Idaho | $65,370 | $65,170 | 280 |
| Illinois | $86,700 | $82,160 | 220 |
| Indiana | $67,530 | $61,110 | 160 |
| Iowa | $83,390 | $83,000 | 50 |
| Kansas | $72,320 | $67,540 | 40 |
| Kentucky | $63,560 | $56,460 | 120 |
| Maine | $68,980 | $66,480 | 70 |
| Maryland | $80,200 | $86,100 | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $86,020 | $89,650 | 130 |
| Michigan | $77,500 | $75,920 | 340 |
| Minnesota | $79,580 | $76,490 | 390 |
| Mississippi | $79,970 | $71,280 | 110 |
| Missouri | $67,030 | $63,220 | 120 |
| Montana | $72,080 | $67,200 | 240 |
| Nevada | $60,140 | $51,070 | – |
| New Hampshire | $71,450 | $65,170 | 110 |
| New Mexico | $72,920 | $69,240 | 50 |
| New York | $79,600 | $73,710 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $70,850 | $77,870 | – |
| Ohio | $75,190 | $73,320 | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $62,600 | $50,990 | 120 |
| Oregon | $82,070 | $81,450 | 670 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,550 | $78,280 | 310 |
| South Carolina | $84,380 | $86,780 | 250 |
| South Dakota | $65,670 | $64,460 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $73,270 | $71,990 | 120 |
| Texas | $82,420 | $80,370 | 210 |
| Utah | $75,260 | $75,210 | 40 |
| Vermont | $81,420 | $80,750 | 80 |
| Virginia | $73,870 | $71,990 | 340 |
| Washington | $84,550 | $78,460 | 950 |
| West Virginia | $63,560 | $62,550 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $68,220 | $66,010 | 570 |
| Wyoming | $71,770 | $68,180 | 60 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$85,330
280 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$93,500
240 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$89,200
180 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$87,080
130 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$119,020
110 jobsOlympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$80,050
110 jobsSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$118,560
110 jobsSalem, OR
$86,510
110 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do foresters make?
The average is $79,170 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $76,400 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $38.06, and the median is $36.73 an hour.
Which state pays foresters the most?
California, with an average of $110,770 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $119,020.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $50,790 a year, and the top 10% earn over $109,700.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1032. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.