Forest ranger demographics and statistics in the US
Forest ranger demographics research summary. Zippia estimates forest ranger demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our forest ranger estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about forest rangers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 7,223 forest rangers currently employed in the United States.
- 20.0% of all forest rangers are women, while 80.0% are men.
- The average forest ranger age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of forest rangers is White (69.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.8%), Black or African American (9.2%) and Unknown (4.8%).
- Forest rangers are most in-demand in Clarksville, AR.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for forest rangers.
- 3% of all forest rangers are LGBT.
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Forest ranger demographics by:
Forest ranger gender statistics
20.0% of forest rangers are women and 80.0% of forest rangers are men.
- Male, 80.0%
- Female, 20.0%
Forest ranger gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 80.0% |
| Female | 20.0% |
Forest ranger gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$38,686
Female income
$35,216
Forest ranger gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in forest ranger positions over time. Currently, 20.0% of forest rangers are female.
Forest ranger gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.46% | 18.54% |
| 2011 | 78.71% | 21.29% |
| 2012 | 79.07% | 20.93% |
| 2013 | 77.63% | 22.37% |
| 2014 | 84.38% | 15.62% |
| 2015 | 74.01% | 25.99% |
| 2016 | 76.78% | 23.22% |
| 2017 | 79.52% | 20.48% |
| 2018 | 82.38% | 17.62% |
| 2019 | 81.54% | 18.46% |
| 2020 | 78.62% | 21.38% |
| 2021 | 80.00% | 20.00% |
Forest ranger related jobs gender ratio
We compared forest rangers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, fire observer and cannon fire direction specialist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention Specialist | 33% | 67% |
| Forest Ranger | 80% | 20% |
| Driver Engineer | 96% | 4% |
| Cannon Fire Direction Specialist | 96% | 4% |
| Fire Observer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Forest ranger demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among forest rangers is White, which makes up 69.4% of all forest rangers. Comparatively, 13.8% of forest rangers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of forest rangers are Black or African American.
- White, 69.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.8%
- Black or African American, 9.2%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Asian, 1.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Forest ranger race
| Forest ranger race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 69.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.8% |
| Black or African American | 9.2% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Asian | 1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Forest ranger race and ethnicity over time
See how forest ranger racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Forest ranger race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.64% | 9.52% | 1.38% | 11.04% |
| 2011 | 75.30% | 8.76% | 1.58% | 10.52% |
| 2012 | 75.11% | 9.18% | 1.01% | 10.70% |
| 2013 | 74.42% | 8.29% | 1.31% | 11.31% |
| 2014 | 73.93% | 8.61% | 1.95% | 10.74% |
| 2015 | 74.42% | 9.29% | 1.61% | 10.72% |
| 2016 | 74.44% | 9.14% | 1.41% | 11.04% |
| 2017 | 73.39% | 8.66% | 1.32% | 12.49% |
| 2018 | 72.70% | 8.80% | 1.63% | 12.54% |
| 2019 | 75.31% | 8.01% | 1.95% | 12.06% |
| 2020 | 73.05% | 7.79% | 1.83% | 10.39% |
| 2021 | 69.36% | 9.18% | 1.93% | 13.78% |
Forest ranger wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino forest rangers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian forest rangers have the lowest average salary at $34,901.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $39,590 |
| White | $41,141 |
| Black or African American | $35,330 |
| Asian | $34,901 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $43,145 |
Average forest ranger age
See how the average age of forest rangers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Forest ranger age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37.5 | 30 |
| Unknown | 38 | |
| Asian | 40 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 40 |
| White | 39 | 37 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 36 |
Forest ranger age breakdown
The average age of forest rangers is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the forest ranger population.
Forest ranger age breakdown
| Forest Ranger Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 37% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Forest ranger educational attainment
The most common degree for forest rangers is bachelor's degree, with 49% of forest rangers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 33% and associate degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 33%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Forest rangers by degree level
| Forest ranger degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 49% |
| Associate | 33% |
| High School Diploma | 11% |
| Master's | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Forest ranger jobs you might like
Forest ranger wage gap by degree level
According to the data, forest rangers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $47,427 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, forest rangers earn a median annual income of $47,200 compared to $42,971 for forest rangers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,427 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,010 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,200 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,971 |
Forest ranger employment statistics
Company size where forest rangers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where forest rangers work.
Forest ranger jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 28% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 33% |
| > 10,000 employees | 6% |
Forest ranger turnover and employment statistics
Forest ranger unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for forest rangers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Forest ranger unemployment rate by year
| Year | Forest ranger unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.88% |
| 2011 | 3.10% |
| 2012 | 2.78% |
| 2013 | 2.98% |
| 2014 | 2.13% |
| 2015 | 2.46% |
| 2016 | 1.95% |
| 2017 | 1.87% |
| 2018 | 1.53% |
| 2019 | 1.06% |
| 2020 | 2.13% |
| 2021 | 1.45% |
Average forest ranger tenure
The average forest ranger stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 120 forest rangers resumes in Zippia's database.
Forest ranger tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 36% |
| 1-2 years | 18% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 16% |
Forest ranger LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of forest rangers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Ranger | 3.06% | - |
| Monitor | 5.54% | 5,558 |
| Swim Instructor | 5.88% | 24,849 |
| Security Supervisor | 6.63% | 87,236 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Transportation Security Officer | 9.37% | 127,192 |
| Fire Code Inspector | 11.81% | 19,562 |
Similar forest ranger jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Monitor | 5.54% | 5,558 |
| Swim Instructor | 5.88% | 24,849 |
| Security Supervisor | 6.63% | 87,236 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Transportation Security Officer | 9.37% | 127,192 |
| Fire Code Inspector | 11.81% | 19,562 |
Foreign languages spoken by forest rangers
- German, 50.0%
- Spanish, 50.0%
Forest ranger languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| German | 50.0% |
| Spanish | 50.0% |
