Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between forestry technicians and conservation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a forestry technician and a conservation technician. Additionally, a conservation technician has an average salary of $35,950, which is higher than the $35,758 average annual salary of a forestry technician.
The top three skills for a forestry technician include harvest, patrol and natural resources. The most important skills for a conservation technician are GRASS, natural resources, and data entry.
| Forestry Technician | Conservation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,758 | $35,950 |
| Hourly rate | $17.19 | $17.28 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 5,810 | 6,640 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A forestry technician specializes in protecting and preserving forests and natural resources. Mostly working outdoors, their responsibilities revolve around collecting and analyzing different samples for research purposes, recording and reviewing findings, devising programs and strategies to protect the forest and animals, and raising public awareness. Furthermore, as a forestry technician, it is essential to implement and enforce rules and regulations to protect forests, coordinate with other agencies such as the fire and police department, and contribute studies to different publications.
Conservation technicians are responsible for handling technical, environmental science tasks like mapping, patrolling, and measuring land to assist conservation scientists and foresters. They generally work in the wilderness but can also work on air and sea resources. These technicians keep records of public and commercial activities within their jurisdiction and train conservation workers to plant trees and maintain the ground. Their jobs include managing protection crews who work to put out forest fires, collecting water or soil samples for pollutants, and checking wildlife and vegetation for diseases.
Forestry technicians and conservation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forestry Technician | Conservation Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,758 | $35,950 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $28,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Newark, DE |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Boulder County | Delaware State Government |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a forestry technician and a conservation technician in terms of educational background:
| Forestry Technician | Conservation Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Forestry | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between forestry technicians' and conservation technicians' demographics:
| Forestry Technician | Conservation Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.1% Female, 23.9% | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.1% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |