Forester vs environmental technician

The differences between foresters and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a forester, becoming an environmental technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a forester has an average salary of $50,590, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.

The top three skills for a forester include natural resources, patrol and management practices. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Forester vs environmental technician overview

	Forester	Environmental Technician
Yearly salary	$50,590	$39,690
Hourly rate	$24.32	$19.08
Growth rate	5%	9%
Number of jobs	6,758	43,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	4	2

What does a forester do?

Foresters are individuals who practice forestry, art, science, and forest management. They are typically engaged in various activities that include the management of protected areas and ecological restoration. These professionals are responsible for maintaining the forests and managing different objectives, including outdoor recreation, conservation, and raw material extraction. This role also requires you to perform other activities such as enforcing forestry laws and protecting natural resources. Other duties include conducting a survey of regional plants and animals and monitoring all human activities in the forests.

What does an environmental technician do?

An environmental technician is responsible for identifying, evaluating, preventing, and controlling contamination of the environment. They study how it affects human health with the supervision of environmental engineers and environmental scientists. Environmental technicians work by monitoring the environment and look for possible sources of pollution and contamination that can possibly affect public health. They make sure that environmental violations are prevented. In addition, an environmental technician also investigates any complaint that is related to water quality, air quality, and food safety.

Forester vs environmental technician salary

Foresters and environmental technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forester	Environmental Technician
Average salary	$50,590	$39,690
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $98,000	Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Danbury, CT
Highest paying state	Alaska	Connecticut
Best paying company	Sierra Pacific Industries	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	Insurance	Energy

Differences between forester and environmental technician education

There are a few differences between a forester and an environmental technician in terms of educational background:

	Forester	Environmental Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Forestry	Environmental Science
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Forester vs environmental technician demographics

Here are the differences between foresters' and environmental technicians' demographics:

	Forester	Environmental Technician
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 82.5% Female, 17.5%	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 0.6% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.3% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between forester and environmental technician duties and responsibilities

Forester example responsibilities.

Manage 8 staff members at the HQ and up to 50 off-site.
Manage landowner survey program to meet SFI standards.
Manage and implement the daily operations for developing and expanding dispersal habitat for the company HCP.
Manage the rifle range, pistol range and physical fitness tests, combat fitness tests and swim qualifications.
Manage and distribute COMSEC cryptographic material for communications security devices on a monthly basis.
Manage inventory and treatment data as well as special projects for privately-own timberland using advance GIS and database software.

Environmental technician example responsibilities.

Lead a crew of twelve techs in various archaeological excavations.
Manage designated areas to ensure proper cleanliness and safety.
Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Provide contractor oversight, including monitoring of technical performance of sub-contractors managing remedial cleanup projects involving hazardous waste.
Assist with environmental projects such as groundwater monitoring, and spatial analysis using ArcGIS.
Perform physical labor associate with cleanup activities, sample collection, waste removal and other remediation service.

Forester vs environmental technician skills

Common forester skills

Natural Resources, 20%
Patrol, 12%
Management Practices, 10%
Vegetation Management, 8%
Management Plans, 7%
Inspection Results, 6%

Common environmental technician skills

Patients, 12%
OSHA, 7%
Hazardous Materials, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Patient Rooms, 5%
HAZWOPER, 4%

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Forester vs Environmental Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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