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Wood Science & Products/Paper

Types of Degrees Wood Science & Products/Paper Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Wood Science & Products/Paper have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	70
Master’s Degree	12
Doctor’s Degree	10

What Wood Science & Products/Paper Majors Need to Know

Programs in Wood Science & Products/Paper emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Wood Science & Products/Paper graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Wood Science & Products/Paper emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Wood Science & Products/Paper program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Wood Science & Products/Paper careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Wood Science & Products/Paper graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Wood Science & Products/Paper professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Electronic data interchange EDI software	Enterprise application integration software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Salesforce software	Customer relationship management CRM software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Wood Science & Products/Paper graduates include:

• Natural Resources Program Instructor
• Forest Ecology Professor
• Extension Professor
• Ecology Professor
• Forest Biometrics Professor
• Range Instructor
• College Professor
• Forestry Instructor
• Forest Resources Professor
• Forest Explorers Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Forest Pathology Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Environmental Conservation Professor
• Natural Resources Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Wood Science & Products/Paper graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	52.9%
Post-doctoral training	18.7%
Bachelor’s degree	13.2%
Master’s degree	12.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%
Some college courses	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Wood Science & Products/Paper?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 64.2% of Wood Science & Products/Paper degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	34	35.8%
Men	61	64.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Wood Science & Products/Paper graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	65	68.4%
Asian	5	5.3%
Hispanic or Latino	5	5.3%
Black or African American	4	4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.1%
Two or More Races	2	2.1%
Race Unknown	2	2.1%
International Students	11	11.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Wood Science & Products/Paper Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Wood Science & Products/Paper graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Is a Degree in Wood Science & Products/Paper Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Wood Science & Products/Paper 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
Forest Technology/Technician	03.0511
Forestry, General	03.0501
Forestry, Other	03.0599
Urban Forestry	03.0508
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General	03.0201
Natural Resources/Conservation, General	03.0101
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other	03.0299
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	03.0206

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.