15 Best Paying Jobs In Forest Products In 2023

A career in forestry offers a variety of alternatives where you may make a good living.

More employment in a wide range of disciplines related to forest products is becoming accessible due to the increased usage and use of technology on plants, trees, and within forestry enterprises across the industry.

In this post, we’ll go through 15 of the best-paying jobs in the forest products industry to assist you in your hunt for the ideal career path.

What Are Forest Products?

A forest product may be defined as any result or byproduct that thrived from forestry for commercial or personal use. A few instances are wood, paper, or feed for livestock. The fact that wood can be used for so many different things makes it one of the most popular forest products.

Various types of forest products are;

  • Food Products
  • Natural Honey
  • Wild Meat
  • Coconut Oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Palm Oil
  • Wine
  • Fruits
  • Mushrooms
  • Nuts
  • Swan Hardwood
  • Rubber
  • Bamboos
  • Rattan, Cane, and Raffia
  • Medical and dietary supplements

With all of these forest goods described above, it is evident that securing one of the best paying jobs in forest products is a possibility. Before we list the high-paying jobs in the forest product industry, let’s look at the benefits of working in forest products.

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What Are The Benefits Of Working In Forest Products?

Here’s a list of the benefits of working in forest products:

1. Promote environmental wellness

Many employment opportunities in the forest products industry play a significant role in maintaining the health of natural settings or aiding in health recovery via growth, cleaning, safety, and fire control.

2. It offers an opportunity for you to work Outside

Forestry jobs are pretty popular since they provide a lot of outside labor. Furthermore, the work is usually done in public areas without desks or cubicles.

3. Utilize specialized knowledge to solve issues

Working in the forest product industry offers the opportunity to solve problems by applying a blend of knowledge and skills.

For most persons, solving complex issues that affect many people and other living things (animals) on a broad scale using specialized hands-on work, theory, and data analysis may be very gratifying.

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4. Use of modern technologies

Many job choices in the forest products sector permit the use of technology specifically meant for the industry. These advanced technologies give workers insights and skills that other specialists don’t have.

Is A Degree In Forestry Worth It?

A degree in forestry offers you a broader view of forest preservation and utilization. With a major in forestry, you are qualified to work in different sectors, caring for trees near dense populations and determining their usefulness and usage.

Some specific Forestry concentrations include Forest Management/Forest Resources Management, Urban Forestry, Forest Sciences and Biology, Forest Resources Production and Management, Wood Science and Wood Products/Pulp and Paper Technology, and Forest Technology/Technician.

When you work in forestry, you will spend more time outside than usual and actively lower stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline, which can contribute to chronic inflammation and a suppressed immune system if not appropriately regulated.

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15 Best Paying Jobs In Forest Products In 2023

Here’s a list of the best-paying jobs in forest products:

  1. Sawmill Manager
  2. Agronomist
  3. Forest Engineer
  4. Process Engineer
  5. Fire Ecologist
  6. Wood Technologist
  7. Forest Ranger
  8. Forester
  9. Rangeland Manager
  10. Forest Firefighter
  11. Lumber Driver
  12. Lumberjack
  13. Lumber Grader
  14. Chainsaw Operator
  15. Recreation Technician

1. Sawmill Manager

Average Salary: $93,322

A sawmill manager manages the entire mill. Lumber is processed from raw materials at sawmills. This is one of the best-paying jobs in forest products since they are in charge of receiving lumber, ensuring that it is properly dried and cut, stored, and exported.

2. Agronomist

Average Salary: $91,251

One of the highest paying jobs in the forest products industry is agronomy. Agronomists test the best strategies for boosting crop quality and yield. Based on their studies, they work with farmers to help them grow the most significant crops possible, such as corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat. As an agronomist, you must be well-versed in chemistry, biology, economics, earth science, ecology, and genetics.

Additionally, they assist in researching and choosing the ideal soil and climatic conditions for the highest crop output.

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3. Forest Engineer

Average Salary: $84,000

Forest engineers contribute to designing, constructing, and evaluating the operational systems that make the forest industry ‘function.’ These examples are designing and installing new roads and forestry equipment, organizing harvest operations, integrating new technology, and optimizing transit logistics.

Forest engineers consider local laws, regulations, and safety precautions when determining the best and most efficient way to log a specific location.

They choose where to put the equipment, how to position it safely, and how to set it up in a quick and logical way.

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4. Process Engineer

Average Salary: $82,322

Despite being one of the highest-paying careers in the forest products industry, workers in this position are frequently underutilized in production.

As a process engineer, you must design processes and equipment for producing, monitoring, and testing.

While working in the forest product industry, their main goal is to process commodities as effectively, cheaply, and efficiently as possible. Their knowledge is required to process paper, timber, and other forest-derived products.

5. Fire Ecologist

Average salary: $67,750

Fire ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with natural processes involving fire in an ecosystem and the ecological effects, the interactions between fire and the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem, and its role as an ecosystem process.

The scientific study of fire ecology examines the ecological consequences of fire-related natural processes in ecosystems, the relationships between fire and its abiotic and biotic constituents, and the role of fire as an ecosystem activity.

As a fire ecologist, it is your duty to manage natural processes involving fire in the forest and its ecological effects.

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6. Wood Technologist

Average Salary: $61,000

A wood technologist is one of the best-paying jobs in the forest products industry. It is the duty of a wood technologist to gather and analyze data on wood properties to suggest its best use.

A wood technologist determines the best method to chop, dry, and process the wood to make saleable goods like plywood.

7. Forest Ranger

Average Salary: $60,600

Next on our list of best-paying jobs in forest products is a forest ranger. A forest ranger works in a national park to provide safety to tourists who visit the park. They have to patrol around the park and prevent the infestation from insets and hazards.

Typically, forest rangers are employed by the government, either as members of the park service or for a local jurisdiction. In addition to responding to fires and assisting any missing hikers, they are in charge of maintaining the forest. They also enforce laws like those governing hunting and burning limits.

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8. Forester

Average salary: $60,377

A forester is a person that focuses on forests and assists in forestry and conservation. As a forester, you can choose to work in the commercial sector of forestry, where you take inventory of products and costs, or specialize in wildlife habitats where forest growth is preserved.

They are also in charge of maintaining and protecting parks and forests. They will plant trees, gather information on the area, and monitor the readiness of the trees for harvest.

9. Rangeland Manager

Average salary: $58,908

Next on our list of top paying jobs in forest products is a rangeland manager. A rangeland manager is a natural science professional who studies rangelands and is concerned with the “conservation and sustainable management [of Arid-Lands] for the benefit of current societies and future generations.

10. Forest Firefighter

Average salary: $54,529

One of the best-paying jobs in the forest products sector is that of a forest firefighter. They specialize in jobs related to firefighting. Forest firefighters are specialists in containing and putting out forest fires.

Forest fighters work in various capacities such as forest ranger technician, forest technician (fire), forest fire warden, forest ranger, wildland fighter, forest fire inspector, and prevention specialist.

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11. Lumber Driver

Average salary: $47,800

Lumber must be transported from one location to another by lumber truckers. A commercial driver’s license is necessary for this position, as is the ability to do simple vehicle maintenance. It is among the best-paying jobs in the forest products industry.

12. Lumberjack

Average salary: $45,519

Lumberjacks, often known as loggers, cut down trees. This very physically demanding job requires working outside in inclement weather and using power and hand equipment.

Cutting down trees is hazardous labor, so to succeed as a lumberjack, you need to know the kinds of trees they’re dealing with and the safest ways to accomplish it. This career ranks 12th in our list of highest-paying forestry jobs.

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13. Lumber Grader

Average salary: $39,000

The typical workplace for someone in this role is a sawmill. A lumber grader examines arriving logs for faults like knots and boules and determines how best to use them, such as whether they should be crushed up to build something else or dried and cured as lumber. They are among the best-paying careers in forestry.

14. Chainsaw Operator

Average Salary: $37,929

Chainsaw operators use chain saws to cut, delimb, jerk trees, and operate skidders that take felled trees from one point to another for specific purposes. This career path is best suited for people that enjoy working outdoors.

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15. Recreation Technician

Average Salary: $34,151

A recreation technician ensures that the recreation facility is in order. It is their duty to plan and execute certain outdoor activities that keep the park buzzing. To work as a recreation technician, you need to obtain a license.

Furthermore, they ensure that the public has secure access to forests and wilderness areas. These involve mapping out routes, clearing fallen trees, and checking the cleanliness and usage of campsites, woodland facilities, lakes, and rivers.

Importance of Forest Products Industry in the Modern World

Since nearly every sector relies on the forest products industry for existence, it might be referred to as the mother of all industries.

Almost everything we use daily comes from forest products, either directly or indirectly; thus the importance of the forest product business cannot be overstated.

Our culture places a great value on forest products, and the government keeps a close check on the sector to ensure that there is a balance between the rate at which trees are being harvested and the rate at which they are being planted.

How To Secure A Job In Forestry

To secure a job in forestry, you need at least a high school diploma. For forest and conservation technicians, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in forestry or related fields such as agricultural science or environmental science is needed.

In addition to academic qualifications, you need a certain level of vocational aptitude, which usually comes from field studies in areas like applied forestry software and wildland firefighting.

FAQs On Best Paying Jobs In Forest Products

Are foresters in demand?

Over the following ten years, there will likely be an increase in conservation biologists and foresters, with an average annual growth rate of 7%. Four thousand new positions for conservation biologists and foresters are anticipated to become available over the next ten years.

How can I become a forester?

To become a forester, you need a minimum bachelor’s degree in forestry or related fields like rangeland management, environmental management, or agricultural science.

Which states in the US pay foresters the most?

Alaska is arguably the best state in the US for forester jobs. On the other hand, Connecticut has the second-highest median salary in the country.

Conclusion

If you’re one of those debating whether a career in forest products is a good one, this article has answered it all. There are work openings for people regardless of their degree of education; therefore, educational qualification is typically not an issue in this sector.

Review the best-paying jobs in forest products before selecting one that fits your abilities.

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