Career Explorer Science
Human edge, steady
Foresters
Manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. May inventory the type, amount, and location of standing timber, appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase, and draw up contracts for procurement. May determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quality, and soil stability, and how best to comply with environmental regulations. May devise plans for planting and growing new trees, monitor trees for healthy growth, and determine optimal harvesting schedules.
In the middle of the pack: more resilient than 52% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +2.2% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and creative vision.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $76,400
- Job growth to 2035
- +2.2%
- Openings a year
- 900
- People doing it (2025)
- 13,200
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Determine operational methods or procedures
- Develop operational or technical procedures or standards
- Research biological or ecological phenomena
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources
- Manage agricultural or forestry operations
- Monitor environmental conditions
What the work looks like
- Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources.
- Plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals.
- Determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage.
- Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
- Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Forensic science techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 87, +13.3%
- Occupational health and safety specialistsHuman edge, growing, Index 93, +18.5%
- AcupuncturistsHuman edge, growing, Index 85, +8.6%
- MicrobiologistsGrows with AI, Index 55, +6.2%
Also known as: Area Forester, Procurement Forester, Silviculturist, Urban Forester, District Forester, Environmental Protection Forester, Fire Prevention Forester, Forest Silviculturist.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.