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Forestry technician vs technician

The differences between forestry technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a forestry technician, becoming a technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, 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 technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Forestry technician vs technician overview

Forestry TechnicianTechnician
Yearly salary$35,758$38,045
Hourly rate$17.19$18.29
Growth rate9%1%
Number of jobs5,810596,842
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age3840
Years of experience122

What does a forestry technician do?

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.

What does a technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Forestry technician vs technician salary

Forestry technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Forestry TechnicianTechnician
Average salary$35,758$38,045
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $45,000Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CityFairbanks, AKSan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaHawaii
Best paying companyBoulder CountyMicrosoft
Best paying industryGovernmentTelecommunication

Differences between forestry technician and technician education

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

Forestry TechnicianTechnician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common majorForestryBusiness
Most common collegeDuke University-

Forestry technician vs technician demographics

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

Forestry TechnicianTechnician
Average age3840
Gender ratioMale, 76.1% Female, 23.9%Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%2%

Differences between forestry technician and technician duties and responsibilities

Forestry technician example responsibilities.

  • Participate in manage and prescribe burns, using ignition devices and drip torches.
  • Serve as a timber sale prep crew member completing field work and managing GIS data in support of land management projects.
  • Record data for timber sale plots in the USDA's require format.
  • Perform routine maintenance on foot trails to include spraying, mowing, and raking.
  • Perform wildfire suppression and control, trail maintenance, park and recreation duties, cabin restoration, and patrol.
  • Learned to use maps and GPS devices to plot suggest burn areas, rehabilitation zones, and progress on suppression.
  • Show more

Technician example responsibilities.

  • Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
  • Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
  • Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.
  • Show more

Forestry technician vs technician skills

Common forestry technician skills
  • Harvest, 32%
  • Patrol, 12%
  • Natural Resources, 10%
  • GPS, 9%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • Trail Maintenance, 5%
Common technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Diagnosis, 5%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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