Forest Engineeringat Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Graduates earn $51,279/yr in their first year — right at the national average. Base-case 10-year earnings $740K; scenarios range from $655K to $764K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at OSU Cascades
Studying Forest Engineering at OSU-Cascades places you directly into a vital regional labor market, leveraging Oregon's extensive timberland and a close-knit industry. Your degree from one of only two programs nationally ensures a specialized skillset highly valued by key employers like the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, state agencies, and private timber companies. Graduates often step into roles managing sustainable timber harvests, designing infrastructure, or mitigating environmental risks, with strong recruiting pipelines directly from the program.
While technological advancements, particularly in remote sensing and data analysis, are evolving the field and carry a notable risk of automation for repetitive tasks, the demand for complex problem-solving, on-the-ground judgment, and ethical decision-making remains high. To best prepare, actively seek internships that integrate new technologies like GIS and LiDAR, and cultivate adaptability to ensure your engineering expertise remains indispensable as the industry evolves.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to OSU Cascades's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Forest Engineering
How OSU Cascades stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at OSU Cascades
Other highest-scoring programs offered at OSU Cascades, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Forest Engineering at OSU Cascades
What does a 61/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Forest Engineering at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus?
At 61/100, the score looks reasonable — but Forest Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.
Should I worry about AI if I study Forest Engineering at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus?
The 46% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.