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Forest Engineeringat Oregon State University

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.

Corvallis, OR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
61 SOLID
62
Optimistic
60
Pessimistic
Earnings
$51,279
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$740K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Oregon State University

Forest Engineering at Oregon State places you at the heart of a vital, specialized industry, particularly strong in the Pacific Northwest. Your career prospects are shaped by the region's robust natural resource economy, where major timber companies, state and federal land management agencies, and environmental consulting firms actively recruit. OSU's program, deeply integrated with industry, prepares you for hands-on roles designing sustainable harvest systems, managing infrastructure development in forested areas, and implementing critical restoration projects. While some analytical tasks are increasingly augmented by AI, your unique blend of engineering judgment, field expertise, and problem-solving in dynamic environments will remain indispensable. To maximize your opportunities, aggressively pursue internships; practical experience is paramount for standing out in this niche field.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$655K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple12.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$740K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple13.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$764K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple14.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Oregon State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Forest Engineering graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Forest Engineering

How Oregon State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
OR · Public
61
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
14.5x
ROI
Also at Oregon State University

Other top programs at Oregon State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Oregon State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Forest Engineering at Oregon State University

How does Oregon State University's Forest Engineering program score?

This program scores 61/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Forest Engineering graduates.

How vulnerable is Forest Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Forest Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 46% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.