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The differences between forestry technicians and natural resource 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 natural resource technician. Additionally, a forestry technician has an average salary of $35,758, which is higher than the $33,588 average annual salary of a natural resource technician.
The top three skills for a forestry technician include harvest, patrol and natural resources. The most important skills for a natural resource technician are GPS, natural resources, and hand tools.
| Forestry Technician | Natural Resource Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,758 | $33,588 |
| Hourly rate | $17.19 | $16.15 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 5,810 | 19,143 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 natural resource technician assists other environmental specialists in collecting and compiling environmental data and in using that information to assess how natural resources are impacted by bioenergy. A natural resource technician is typically supervised by a senior natural resource specialist. This position requires a bachelor's degree in environmental science. The responsibilities of this position include analyzing environmental problems, developing plans that guide policy makers, and providing data on possible outcomes of bioenergy deployment.
Forestry technicians and natural resource technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forestry Technician | Natural Resource Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,758 | $33,588 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Boulder County | Student Conservation Association |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a forestry technician and a natural resource technician in terms of educational background:
| Forestry Technician | Natural Resource Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Forestry | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between forestry technicians' and natural resource technicians' demographics:
| Forestry Technician | Natural Resource Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.1% Female, 23.9% | Male, 60.7% Female, 39.3% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |