How to Become a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Worker in Wisconsin

If working outside is part of your dream career, you might want to become a forest or conservation worker. These professionals spend their workdays outside, completing tasks to ensure the health and quality of forests and trees. Forest and conservation workers, directed by foresters or conservation scientists, help promote forest growth, control plant disease, clear natural areas of debris and perform research.

Typical tasks for forest workers include planting and measuring trees, identifying and removing diseased plants and performing wildfire prevention functions. They also collect and analyze field data to ensure water quality. Each forest or conservation worker’s tasks will vary depending on the setting in which they work.

It’s easy to become a forest or conservation worker, since no post-secondary education is required. However, studying in a two-year forestry or conservation program will help you find better-paying jobs. To be a forest or conservation worker, you need to be active, able to lift heavy objects and walk long distances. It’s also important to learn and practice safety protocol.

Steps to Becoming a Forest or Conservation Worker

The first step in becoming a forest or conservation worker is to earn your high school diploma or GED equivalent. After that, you can begin seeking work through local and state government agencies and forest and wildlife organizations. Most forest workers are trained on the job. It will be easier to find better-paying jobs if you spend some time studying forestry and conservation in college. Two-year college programs give you background knowledge in the field, making you more valuable to potential employers.

Studying Forestry in Wisconsin

Here are some Wisconsin schools that offer forestry and conservation degrees:

• Mid-State Technical College. Located in Wisconsin Rapids, this school offers a two-year Urban Forestry Technician program. Graduates are awarded their Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. The program is a total of 68 to 69 credit hours long. Students are trained using unique aerial lift equipment. For students who wish to complete a four-year degree at another school, transfer options are available.
• Fox Valley Technical College. This Appleton school offers Forest Management Specialist and Habitat and Land Use Specialist certificates, which can each be completed with 15 credits. Students can also earn two-year Natural Resources Technician and Wildland Firefighter associate’s degrees.

Employment and Salary Data

By looking at statistics for forest and conservation technicians in Wisconsin, you can get an idea of job outlook and salary for forest and conservation workers. According to the Projections Managing Partnership, there were 640 forest and conservation technicians employed in Wisconsin in 2016. That number is expected to increase 4.7 percent by 2026, meaning forest jobs are on the rise.

In Wisconsin, forest and conservation technicians were paid a median income of $16.65 per hour in 2018, which was higher than the national median income of $13.20 per hour. Conservation technicians have more technical training than forest workers.

Where are Forest Workers in Wisconsin?

In 2018, there were 160 forest and conservation workers employed in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area. The median income for these Milwaukee forest workers was strong, at $21.98 per hour. To learn about forest and conservation workers elsewhere the state, you can look at data for forest and conservation technicians as a guide.

The part of Wisconsin that employed the highest number of technicians in 2018 was the northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area. The northwestern area also has a much higher forest technician employment rate than the rest of the state, making it an excellent place to find forestry work. The highest paid forest and conservation technicians in the state were those in the south central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, who received a median salary of $20.38 per hour.

Forest and conservation workers often gain experience and education to grow into more advanced positions, such as forester or conservation scientist. Getting starting in this entry-level forestry job can give you opportunities for a long outdoor career.