Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for range technicians in the United States
Are range technician jobs in demand?
Range technician job and salary trends over time
Range technician jobs over time
Range technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 418 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 415 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 426 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,047 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,082 | 0.00% |
Average range technician salary over time
Range technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $36,047 | $17.33 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | $35,891 | $17.26 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $34,782 | $16.72 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $33,800 | $16.25 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $33,267 | $15.99 | +0.4% |
Range technician jobs by state
Most common states for range technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 343 | 33% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 146 | 25% |
| 3 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 378 | 22% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 537 | 13% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 86 | 12% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 608 | 11% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 151 | 11% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 305 | 10% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 217 | 10% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 86 | 10% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 56 | 9% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 529 | 8% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 419 | 8% |
| 14 | Delaware | 961,939 | 74 | 8% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 463 | 7% |
| 16 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 403 | 7% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 218 | 7% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 142 | 7% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 100 | 7% |
| 20 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 652 | 6% |
Most common cities for range technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merrimack | 2 | 8% | $38,298 |
| 2 | Anchorage | 2 | 1% | $52,499 |
| 3 | Gaithersburg | 1 | 1% | $34,245 |
| 4 | Huntsville | 1 | 1% | $36,818 |
| 5 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $35,150 |
Range Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of range technician experts
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Pennsylvania State University
Feather River College
Forest Service
The Forest Stewards Guild
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Range Technician job market given the pandemic?
Charles Ruffner Ph.D.: In natural resource management, there is still a huge need to be in the field managing resources. However, much of our duties entail meeting with the public, granting, agencies, etc. so thus all people should be capable of working remotely on various platforms.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Range Technicians?
Charles Ruffner Ph.D.: ANY certification for wildland fire fighting, prescribed burn use, soil conservation, etc are all valuable certs to have in one's toolbox. Others include chainsaw use, small engine maintenance like leaf blowers and UTV's .
What skills stand out on Range Technician resumes?
Ellen Rom: For land management positions, GIS skills are important as, of course, is plant identification. Evidence of leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and good communication skills are important regardless of field of interest.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Range Technicians to find work opportunities?
Ellen Rom: Where there are forested landscapes (or simply trees in urban areas), there are opportunities for forestry graduates. We continue to receive job announcements from areas across the country.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Range Technicians to find work opportunities?
Bridget Tracy: I live in the Sierra Nevada and find that there are lots of work opportunities in this region. Many employers send me info about potential jobs for students. I don't hear about as many in other regions, but I imagine that similar opportunities exist in all the regions where we have forests.
What general advice would you give to a Range Technician?
Chris Stockdale: Be open to various opportunities, and take chances on occupations and locations that you may not have considered before. Many of our opportunities are rural, even remote locations, near our national forests and grasslands. You may have studied environmental sustainability, agriculture, or natural resource management - but we need many forestry technicians to work in our timber programs and learn how we carefully manage (to include harvest and timber sales) our natural resources in a sustainable way. You may have a degree in geology, physics, or other physical sciences - we need engineering technicians to help with forest roads and other environmental projects. Your first position likely will not be your last position with us; starting a career with us, you will have the opportunity to grow and contribute in several ways. Your first job with us is building on a foundation that can help get you where you want to be professionally, and you may not even know where that is yet.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Range Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Chris Stockdale: Many of our professional occupations require specific post-secondary degrees and course selection; engineers, foresters, rangeland managers, wildlife biologists, to name just a few. Our technicians may or may not have specific post-secondary education, though it always helps. Regardless - all of our new employees need to be proficient in technology. We see classes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and another remote sensing often for a wide variety of natural resources focused degree programs and occupations. Proficiency with common spreadsheet and database software is essential, as most occupations move towards data-driven analysis and decision making. A real emerging technology in natural resources work involves Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones for sampling detection. Any courses or experience there can be helpful.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Range Technicians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Chris Stockdale: We are the federal government serving as public servants. Our salaries cannot always compete with the private industry, especially at entry-levels. Many of our recent graduates start at 16 to 22 dollars an hour, depending on location and occupation, but many positions have promotion potential. We have excellent benefits for permanent employees, including both defined benefits (pensions) and defined contribution (401K style with match) retirement plans. We have excellent health and dental plan options. Depending on how aggressive you are in applying for promotions - considering geographic options and mobility - we always have internal opportunities and a need to develop technical and scientific experts, supervisors, program managers, and leaders. When we hire new graduates, we like to think we may be hiring future District Rangers, Forest Supervisors, or even a Chief of the Forest Service. There is potential for many to eventually earn annual salaries of $60,000-$90,000. GS-14 and GS-15 senior managers earn annual salaries over $100,000, but that will take time, continuous development, and years of hard work.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Range Technicians to find work opportunities?
Colleen Robinson: As for good places to find work opportunities, I'd say students should subscribe to e-newsletters with organizations they believe in, such as Forest Stewards Guild, and also pay attention to who is showing up at job fairs, etc with internship opportunities when they are still in school and follow up with them after graduation too. So many places offer job posts with a collection of opportunities to learn about. It somewhat depends on if they are interested in NGOs, government agency work, industry, etc. too. As far as geography, I think forestry is everywhere, in one sense or another. Forestry in New Mexico looks different than it does in upstate New York, but its still forestry.