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Forest Technology

Types of Degrees Forest Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Forest Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	40
Associate’s Degree	184
Master’s Degree	101

What Forest Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Forest Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Forest Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Forest Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Forest Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Forest Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Static Strength — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Forest Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.4 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.7 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.5 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Forest Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE	Map creation software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Forest Technology graduates include:

• Forestry Aide
• Forester Aide
• Conservation Officer
• Forest Nursery Worker
• Tree Coordinator
• Chopper
• Land Conservation Specialist
• Fern Cutter
• Raker
• Pine Straw Gatherer
• Tree Planter
• Scrape Gatherer
• Tree Wrapper
• Palm Gatherer
• Pitch Gatherer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Forest Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	42.2%
Bachelor’s degree	21.1%
Master’s degree	16.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.3%
Some college courses	7.2%
Less than a high school diploma	2.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Forest Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.9% of Forest Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	82	25.1%
Men	245	74.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Forest Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	285	87.2%
Hispanic or Latino	18	5.5%
Black or African American	6	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.6%
Two or More Races	8	2.4%
Race Unknown	8	2.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Forest Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Forest Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,042
4 years	$52,066
5 years	$60,484

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $60,484 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Forest Technology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Forest Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Forest Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Forest Technology graduates earn a median of $52,066 four years after completion — roughly 37% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Forestry	03.05
Forest Management/Forest Resources Management	03.0506
Forest Resources Production and Management	03.0510
Forest Sciences and Biology	03.0502
Forestry, General	03.0501
Forestry, Other	03.0599
Urban Forestry	03.0508
Wood Science and Wood Products/Pulp and Paper Technology/Technician	03.0509
Environmental Science	03.0104
Natural Resources/Conservation, General	03.0101

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.