Forestry
Students study forest ecology, timber management, wildfire science, and sustainable land stewardship practices for both private and public forests. Graduates typically pursue careers with the U.S. Forest Service, state forestry agencies, timber companies, and environmental consulting firms. Foresters are in steady demand as wildfire management and sustainable timber practices become national priorities.
What Forestry graduates do
Your career will likely be a mix of outdoor fieldwork and indoor analysis. As a forester, you might spend your morning inventorying a timber stand and your afternoon using GIS software to draft a 20-year harvest plan that balances profit with ecosystem health. As a conservation scientist, you could collect soil samples to study erosion patterns, then analyze the data to advise government agencies. Many graduates begin as technicians, the hands-on experts who execute these plans by marking trees or monitoring wildlife populations.
Career progression often involves moving from a technician role to a forester or scientist with more planning responsibility, or into a first-line supervisor position leading on-the-ground crews. While some technician and worker roles face headwinds, demand for conservation scientists is growing. A major advantage of this degree is its resilience to automation. The core of your job—making judgments in unpredictable natural environments and performing hands-on tasks—has low AI exposure. AI will be a powerful tool for analyzing satellite data or modeling growth, but it can't replace your boots-on-the-ground expertise.
If Forestry isn't the right fit, programs like Wildlife Management, Natural Resources, and Plant Sciences draw from adjacent disciplines.
Where Forestry graduates work
Common career paths for Forestry graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 18,100 combined openings per year across these roles.
| Role | Median Pay | Annual Openings | 10-yr Growth | AI Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary
|
$100,830
$81K–$125K
|
100 | +4.0% | Moderate · 48% |
|
Foresters
|
$70,660
$59K–$85K
|
1,100 | +1.2% | Moderate · 37% |
|
Conservation scientists
|
$67,950
$53K–$88K
|
2,500 | +3.4% | High · 52% |
|
First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
|
$59,330
$48K–$77K
|
8,500 | +2.5% | Low · 28% |
|
Forest and conservation technicians
|
$54,310
$43K–$66K
|
3,900 | -3.2% | Moderate · 33% |
|
Forest and conservation workers
|
$43,680
$36K–$45K
|
2,000 | -4.7% | Low · 4% |
Best schools for Forestry
Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 29.
| # | School | DW Score | 1-yr Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID · Public
|
52 | $47,399 | 16.1x |
| 6 |
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · Public
|
50 | $51,421 | 11.0x |
| 7 |
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS · Public
|
49 | $40,219 | 15.8x |
| 8 |
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA · Public
|
49 | $40,065 | 40.3x |
| 9 |
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI · Public
|
48 | $41,177 | 15.8x |
| 10 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
|
46 | $45,817 | 9.0x |
| 11 |
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV · Public
|
45 | $43,228 | 12.8x |
| 12 |
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ · Public
|
45 | $40,435 | 11.2x |
| 13 |
Clemson University
Clemson, SC · Public
|
44 | $53,850 | 7.4x |
| 14 |
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI · Public
|
44 | $45,571 | 7.4x |
| 15 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
|
44 | $43,842 | 8.6x |
| 16 |
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA · Public
|
40 | $44,120 | 9.9x |
| 17 |
Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public
|
40 | $43,029 | 9.8x |
| 18 |
University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public
|
38 | $43,901 | 7.7x |
| 19 |
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO · Public
|
37 | $37,539 | 9.4x |
| 20 |
Stephen F Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX · Public
|
36 | $39,953 | 8.4x |
Highest Earnings Top 5
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh
NC |
$61,142 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA |
$55,092 |
| Clemson University
SC |
$53,850 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
CA |
$52,810 |
| Auburn University
AL |
$51,421 |
Best ROI Top 5
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
GA |
40.3x |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh
NC |
19.2x |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
CA |
19.1x |
| University of Florida
FL |
17.8x |
| University of Georgia
GA |
16.2x |
Related majors
Similar fields of study often offered alongside Forestry.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Forestry offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Forestry trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Forestry
What do Forestry graduates make in their first year?
Across 29 schools, Forestry graduates earn an average of $42,703 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $26,838 to $61,142 depending on the school.
Will AI affect Forestry careers?
AI exposure for Forestry is rated "Moderate." With 36% of tasks potentially affected by large language models, some career functions face meaningful automation pressure in the coming decade.
Which school has the best Forestry program?
Our data ranks North Carolina State University at Raleigh first among 29 Forestry programs. Its score of 60/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($61,142/yr), return on investment, and career durability.
What's the ROI on a Forestry degree?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 12.1x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.