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Forest technician vs forestry aide

The differences between forest technicians and forestry aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a forest technician and a forestry aide. Additionally, a forest technician has an average salary of $36,614, which is higher than the $32,407 average annual salary of a forestry aide.

The top three skills for a forest technician include GPS, data collection and harvest. The most important skills for a forestry aide are fire suppression, hand tools, and fire behavior.

Forest technician vs forestry aide overview

Forest TechnicianForestry Aide
Yearly salary$36,614$32,407
Hourly rate$17.60$15.58
Growth rate-1%
Number of jobs5,73240,315
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

Forest technician vs forestry aide salary

Forest technicians and forestry aides have different pay scales, as shown below.

Forest TechnicianForestry Aide
Average salary$36,614$32,407
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $48,000Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CityBirmingham, AL-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyWashington State University-
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between forest technician and forestry aide education

There are a few differences between a forest technician and a forestry aide in terms of educational background:

Forest TechnicianForestry Aide
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorForestryEnvironmental Science
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Forest technician vs forestry aide demographics

Here are the differences between forest technicians' and forestry aides' demographics:

Forest TechnicianForestry Aide
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 76.6% Female, 23.4%Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.2% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between forest technician and forestry aide duties and responsibilities

Forest technician example responsibilities.

  • Survey back-country old-growth timber, fight forest fires, manage brush, and replant forests after harvest.
  • Mark timber sale unit boundaries, sensitive areas for protection using GPS, aerial and GIS maps.
  • Fall trees, cut and clear brush, and dig trenches to create firelines, using axes, chainsaws or shovels.
  • Used drip torches for back lighting when need.
  • Used GIS to plot and map power lines for the power company.
  • Utilize the most current and innovative forestry software to prepare cruise inventory reports and GIS mapping.
  • Show more

Forestry aide example responsibilities.

  • Conduct wetland surveys, retrieve soil samples, and assist in site surveying for engineering plans.
  • Clear fallen trees from access roads, ATV trials, and hiking trials.
  • Map conservation plans using ArcView GIS/Toolkit.
  • Assist in updating GIS map projects when need.
  • Operate GIS base timber management software and relate hardware.
  • Develop Arcview maps that assist in the planning of contracts.
  • Show more

Forest technician vs forestry aide skills

Common forest technician skills
  • GPS, 27%
  • Data Collection, 15%
  • Harvest, 11%
  • Forests, 11%
  • GIS, 10%
  • Wildlife Habitat, 8%
Common forestry aide skills
  • Fire Suppression, 28%
  • Hand Tools, 21%
  • Fire Behavior, 11%
  • Rehabilitation, 11%
  • Firefighting, 8%
  • Patrol, 4%

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