Urban forester vs forest supervisor

The differences between urban foresters and forest supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an urban forester and a forest supervisor. Additionally, an urban forester has an average salary of $56,526, which is higher than the $49,282 average annual salary of a forest supervisor.

The top three skills for an urban forester include GIS, data analysis and urban forestry. The most important skills for a forest supervisor are facility maintenance, USDA, and direct supervision.

Urban forester vs forest supervisor overview

	Urban Forester	Forest Supervisor
Yearly salary	$56,526	$49,282
Hourly rate	$27.18	$23.69
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	583	1,367
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Urban forester vs forest supervisor salary

Urban foresters and forest supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Urban Forester	Forest Supervisor
Average salary	$56,526	$49,282
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $95,000	Between $24,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between urban forester and forest supervisor education

There are a few differences between an urban forester and a forest supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Urban Forester	Forest Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Forestry	Forestry
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Urban forester vs forest supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between urban foresters' and forest supervisors' demographics:

	Urban Forester	Forest Supervisor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 67.4% Female, 32.6%	Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 0.2% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, 1.4% White, 92.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 0.2% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, 1.4% White, 92.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between urban forester and forest supervisor duties and responsibilities

Urban forester example responsibilities.

Manage inventory and treatment data as well as special projects for privately-own timberland using advance GIS and database software.
Used GPS and create detailed ArcGIS maps to monitor and record data and assist with design schematics for contract work.
Conduct field surveys and provide infrastructure recommendations to support future development, mitigate environmental impacts, and reduce costs.
Maintain FSC chain of custody certification, and support MN master logger program.

Forest supervisor example responsibilities.

Mark harvest boundaries and verify critical terrain features including equipment limitations, property boundaries, and riparian buffers.
Utilize Woodstock and FIS to create plan.
Communicate with BLM and neighboring landowners in order to cost-share and efficiently plan surveys.
Identify landings and establish preliminary road grades need to access harvest units.
Utilize Woodstock and FIS to create plan.

Urban forester vs forest supervisor skills

Common urban forester skills

GIS, 44%
Data Analysis, 44%
Urban Forestry, 7%
Data Collection, 3%
GPS, 2%

Common forest supervisor skills

Facility Maintenance, 60%
USDA, 30%
Direct Supervision, 10%

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Urban Forester vs Forest Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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