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The differences between forestry technicians and fire management officers 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 fire management officer. Additionally, a fire management officer has an average salary of $77,536, 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 fire management officer are logistics, financial reports, and BLM.
| Forestry Technician | Fire Management Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,758 | $77,536 |
| Hourly rate | $17.19 | $37.28 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 5,810 | 121,051 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
A fire management officer ensures regular safe housekeeping and inspections take place. They ensure fire safety audits take place and appropriate actions get implemented. Besides reporting hazards and the implemented remedial actions, fire management officers monitor the organization's daily fire safety functions, fire protection, and fire prevention. These professionals ensure that the staff members have access to the appropriate emergency response procedures and written fire safety procedures. Also, they ensure fire protection systems and fire safety equipment remain tested and maintained.
Forestry technicians and fire management officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forestry Technician | Fire Management Officer | |
| Average salary | $35,758 | $77,536 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $49,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | North Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boulder County | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a forestry technician and a fire management officer in terms of educational background:
| Forestry Technician | Fire Management Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Forestry | Forestry |
| Most common college | Duke University | - |
Here are the differences between forestry technicians' and fire management officers' demographics:
| Forestry Technician | Fire Management Officer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.1% Female, 23.9% | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 10.6% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |