Becoming a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Technician in Mississippi

If you want a job that will allow you to spend lots of time outdoors, a forest and conservation technician career may be the right choice for you. Forest technicians are professionals trained in the technical side of forestry and conservation work, and they often work under the direction of foresters and conservation scientists to help protect, sustain and restore forest land.

Work settings and responsibilities for forest and conservation technicians vary widely. Some forest technicians work in traditional forest settings while others care for trees and resources in urban settings. Some are trained in fire-fighting skills to fight forest fires, and others work in orchards and seedling nurseries.

Responsibilities of forest technicians include the training and supervising of forest and conservation workers, collecting forest data for conservation scientists and removing debris from high-traffic natural areas. Those who wish to become forest technicians should be detail-oriented and able to spend lots of time on their feet. These professionals spend much time outdoors, sometimes in harsh weather conditions. There is also a lot of walking and climbing involved with this job.

How Do You Become a Forest Technician?

To become a forest and conservation worker, you should first earn your high school diploma or GED equivalent. It’s helpful to focus on science classes in high school if you want to enter this field. Then, enroll in at least a two-year college program that will teach you the forestry technical skills needed for the job. You may wish to enroll in a four-year program if you’d like to stand out more in the field, and to help you advance in your career to a higher position.

Choosing a Forestry Program

There are lots of choices for two-year forestry programs in Mississippi. Taking a program in forestry, forest technology, conservation, natural resources or another related field of study is the best way to get your first job. Here are two options available within the state:

• Holmes Community College. This school’s Granada Center Campus offers a few study options in Forest Technology. Depending on the length and depth of study, students can earn a Technical Certificate, Advanced Technical Certificate or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. The program is designed to teach students the technical skills to begin an entry-level forest technician career upon graduation.
• East Mississippi Community College. On the Scooba campus, students can earn a two-year associate’s degree in Forestry Technology. Study in the program includes land and forest measurement, tree identification, timber stand management and forest protection. Students have the option to perform work-based learning. Graduates are qualified for forest and conservation technician jobs with private companies, the Mississippi Forestry Commission, a state agency or the U.S. Forest Service.

Career Outlook for Forest Technicians

In 2016, the Projections Managing Partnership reported 230 forest and conservation technicians employed in Mississippi. That number isn’t expected to rise or fall by the year 2026, but the constant need for timber and natural resource protection should keep forest technician jobs available.

Forest technicians in Mississippi earned a median income of $23.20 per hour in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which was higher than nationwide median income for this field of $17.37 per hour that same year.

Finding Forest Technician Work

BLS data on forest and conservation technicians in Mississippi is limited. In 2018, the BLS reported that 50 of these workers were employed in the northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area and 40 were employed in the southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area. They were paid slightly higher in the northeast area, with a median income of $23.87 per hour vs. the southeast area’s median income of $23.26 per hour.

Regardless of where you work in Mississippi as a forest and conservation technician, you’ll probably receive a strong salary. The more education you earn, the higher your earning potential will be. Start looking at forestry programs now so you can get started on your career as a forest technician.