DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
45-4011 Forest and Conservation Workers
Occupational Description:
Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.| Percentiles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Minnesota | 40 | 20 | $20.54/hr | $1.03/hr | $12.02/hr | $16.19/hr | $18.85/hr | $25.23/hr | $30.69/hr |
| U S | 6,760 | 345 | $15.99/hr | $0.14/hr | $11.11/hr | $12.41/hr | $15.49/hr | $17.77/hr | $22.87/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change 2023 - 2025 | |
| Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | 3,250 | $12.38/hr | 2.1% |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 940 | $16.44/hr | 0.2% |
| Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals | 730 | $12.81/hr | 1.0% |
Tasks for Forest and Conservation Workers
- Plants, cultivates, and harvests trees and tree seedlings to reforest land.
- Sorts and separates tree seedlings, discarding substandard seedlings, according to standard chart and verbal instructions.
- Fells trees, clears brush from fire breaks, and extinguishes flames and embers to suppress fires.
- Examines and grades trees according to standard chart and staples color-coded grade tags to limbs.
- Clears and piles brush, limbs, and other debris from roadside, fire trails, camping areas, and planting areas.
- Erects signs and fences, using posthole digger, shovel, or other hand tools.
- Gathers, bundles or sacks, and delivers forest products to buyer.
- Maintains campsites and recreational areas, replenishing firewood and other supplies, and cleaning kitchens and restrooms.
- Drags cut trees from cutting area and loads trees onto truck.
- Helps forest survey crews by clearing site-lines, holding measuring tools, and setting stakes.
- Prunes or shears tree tops and limbs to control growth, increase density, and improve shape.
- Identifies and cuts diseased, weak, and other undesirable trees to protect forested areas.
- Sprays or injects trees, brush, and weeds with herbicides to combat insects, pests, and harmful diseases.
- Selects and cuts trees according to markings or size, specie, and grade.
