What the work involves, what it pays, and real lines you can start from. Answer a few small questions and leave with a resume.
Also called area forester, consulting utility forester, district forester and environmental protection forester.
$76,400
Median pay a year
10,430
People do this work
6
Resume lines ready for you
Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
A Forester resume, filled in
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Forester
Summary
Forester managing public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes, overseeing contract compliance, negotiating agreements, and implementing conservation projects
Experience
Forester
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Monitored contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations
Negotiated terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting and management
Planned and implemented projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality
Established short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and resources
Planned cutting programs and managed timber sales from harvested areas to assist companies in achieving production goals
Performed inspections of forests and forest nurseries to ensure compliance and health
Provided advice and recommendations on forestry issues to private woodlot owners and government agencies
Skills
Core Skills
Managing agricultural operations, Monitoring production impacts, Researching crop management methods, Conducting research of natural processes, Obtaining written authorization, Measuring environmental characteristics, Inspecting natural environments, Assessing environmental compliance, ESRI ArcGIS software, Geographic information system GIS systems, Driver's license, Developing plans, Developing agricultural methods
Tools and software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint
Education
Bachelor's Degree Your college, Year
Yours will not say this. It will say what you did, in your own words, and Rung writes it with you one question at a time.
Nothing to write from scratch
What to put on a Forester resume
Real duties for this job, already written the way a resume reads. Inside Rung you choose the ones that were yours.
What did you do each day?
Choose what fits, or say your own.
Monitored contract compliance with government regulationsNegotiated terms for forest management agreementsPlanned projects for wildlife habitat conservationEstablished management plans for forest resourcesManaged timber sales to achieve production goalsPerformed inspections of forests and nurseries
becomes
On your resume
Monitored contract compliance with government regulations to ensure adherence to forestry activities
Planned and implemented projects for wildlife habitat conservation, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem health
These are written the way a resume line reads. Rung asks which ones are actually yours, keeps your own words, and never claims work you did not do.
Then it asks for one more thing
The line that could show more, and the fact that lands it.
Make it stronger
A few lines could show more. Each one is asked, and answered by choosing.
Add what improved because you monitored compliance with regulations
The line
Monitored contract compliance with government regulations, reducing violations and penalties for the company
Add what improved because you monitored compliance with regulations
Pick one that fits
Reduced violations and penalties for the companyImproved project approval times and efficiencyEnhanced trust with regulatory agencies
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
Show what got better for wildlife or ecosystems from your projects
The line
Planned and implemented projects for wildlife habitat conservation, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem health
Show what got better for wildlife or ecosystems from your projects
Pick one that fits
Increased species diversity in the areaImproved water quality in nearby streamsRestored native plant populations
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
Every ready answer is in plain words, never a figure. Nothing is invented to fill a gap.
What it is made of
Skills for a Forester resume
What this work is made of. Rung offers these and keeps the ones you claim.
What are you good at?
Managing agricultural operations
Developing plans
Monitoring production impacts
Developing agricultural methods
Researching crop management methods
Conducting research of natural processes
Obtaining written authorization
Measuring environmental characteristics
Inspecting natural environments
Assessing environmental compliance
Determining methods
Planning resource conservation
The work itself
What a Forester does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
Manage public and private 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 optimal harvesting schedules.
What it pays
How much does a Forester make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$62,710
Median
$76,400
75th percentile
$91,640
About 10,430 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
AK
$73,990
$87,210
$98,420
AL
$60,040
$79,530
$87,050
AR
$56,360
$69,240
$78,850
AZ
$61,110
$67,200
$79,440
CA
$91,170
$107,120
$130,430
CO
$64,190
$76,400
$85,180
CT
$82,310
$84,820
$91,530
DC
$74,700
$74,710
$75,450
FL
$51,500
$64,130
$88,380
GA
$60,980
$76,970
$109,690
IA
$68,470
$83,000
$94,800
ID
$57,410
$65,170
$72,900
IL
$73,490
$82,160
$105,580
IN
$51,170
$61,110
$86,230
KS
$62,400
$67,540
$87,230
KY
$51,160
$56,460
$69,240
MA
$74,680
$89,650
$98,760
MD
$62,260
$86,100
$95,150
ME
$59,470
$66,480
$73,380
MI
$63,860
$75,920
$85,430
MN
$67,370
$76,490
$88,000
MO
$52,850
$63,220
$76,290
MS
$53,770
$71,280
$92,170
MT
$63,130
$67,200
$81,430
NC
$48,180
$77,870
$77,870
NH
$49,340
$65,170
$86,070
NM
$61,760
$69,240
$79,710
NV
$47,360
$51,070
$58,510
NY
$69,570
$73,710
$82,640
OH
$62,180
$73,320
$84,120
OK
$50,830
$50,990
$68,590
OR
$67,170
$81,450
$93,640
PA
$64,810
$78,280
$91,770
SC
$65,060
$86,780
$97,610
SD
$54,660
$64,460
$74,200
TN
$62,140
$71,990
$80,720
TX
$70,690
$80,370
$95,350
UT
$66,330
$75,210
$82,200
VA
$59,680
$71,990
$85,330
VT
$70,200
$80,750
$89,320
WA
$67,270
$78,460
$103,760
WI
$60,880
$66,010
$78,880
WV
$47,090
$62,550
$79,430
WY
$63,130
$68,180
$79,820
Other names
Other names for this job
area forester, consulting utility forester, district forester, environmental protection forester, extension forester, fire prevention forester, land management forester, operations forester, procurement forester, resource forester, service forester, silviculture forester.
This page is about the occupation Foresters. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.