Skip to main content
FG
FutureGrid
Back to Careers

Forest and Conservation Workers

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry · SOC 45-4011

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$43,680
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
2,400
Proj. Annual Openings
6,050
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-1.8%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 45-4011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
62/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$43,680
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
2,400
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -4.7%.
Observed/proxy demand
0
FY2025 certified LCAs; 2,518 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Critical ThinkingMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeaking

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.3%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

14.2%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI4.3%
AI ability · AIOE38.3%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne87%

Top Skills

1.Critical Thinking
2.Monitoring
3.Reading Comprehension
4.Active Listening
5.Speaking

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

1
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
0
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$0
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#732 of 776
Rank by Total Volume

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.

Common titles: Christmas Tree Farmer, Conservation Officer, Field Laborer, Forest Ranger, Forest Resource Specialist, Forestry Support Specialist

Representative Tasks

  • Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
  • Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians.
  • Perform fire protection or suppression duties, such as constructing fire breaks or disposing of brush.
  • Confer with other workers to discuss issues, such as safety, cutting heights, or work needs.
  • Maintain tallies of trees examined and counted during tree marking or measuring efforts.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs.
  • Perform forest firefighting activities.
  • Communicate with other workers to coordinate activities.
  • Record agricultural or forestry inventory data.
  • Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment.

Tools & Technologies

ESRI ArcGIS software · hotMicrosoft Access · hotMicrosoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotGeographic information system GIS systemsDatabase softwareGeographic information system GIS softwareIBM Lotus 1-2-3IBM Lotus Notes

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

11
Occupations Shown
0.2%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 45-4011: 2019 — employment: 6,760, median wage: $31,770; 2020 — employment: 6,490, median wage: $30,640; 2021 — employment: 6,300, median wage: $30,550; 2022 — employment: 6,080, median wage: $32,270; 2023 — employment: 5,750, median wage: $33,940; 2025 — employment: 6,050, median wage: $43,680.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.3%
OutlookAverage9% Bright
Median Salary$43,680N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A