Foresters

The median annual wage for Foresters is $67,330, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $70,680, and an estimated 9,450 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +5.2% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -10.6% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 1.2% between 2024 and 2034.

Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment

How the national median wage for Foresters has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.

National median wage trend for Foresters, nominal and inflation-adjusted, BLS OEWS.
Year	Median (nominal)	In 2023 $ (real)	Employment
2023	$67,330	$67,330	9,450
2022	$64,220	$66,864	9,430
2021	$64,110	$72,091	9,500
2020	$63,980	$75,325	9,360

Nominal change

+5.2%

Inflation (CPI)

+17.7%

Real change

-10.6%

Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)

The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).

Projected Growth

+1.2%

About average

Employment 2024

13,800

Projected 2034

14,000

Annual Openings

1,100

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.

Highest-Paying Areas (2023)

Where Foresters earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $67,330. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.

Highest-paying areas for Foresters, BLS OEWS 2023.
Area	Median Annual	vs National	Employment
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area	$95,770	+42.2%	90
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area	$91,920	+36.5%	40
Iowa	$85,720	+27.3%	50
California	$83,930	+24.7%	930
Northeast South Carolina nonmetropolitan area	$82,340	+22.3%	70
Alaska nonmetropolitan area	$82,120	+22%	30
Alaska	$81,810	+21.5%	70
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	$79,540	+18.1%	60
Ohio	$78,190	+16.1%	230
Maryland	$78,120	+16%	100

Full wages-by-state breakdown →

Wage Distribution (National, 2023)

10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.

10th Pct

$46,700

25th Pct

$55,520

Median

$67,330

75th Pct

$82,120

90th Pct

$98,590

H-1B Employer Filings

Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.

The average H-1B median wage for this occupation is $73,933 — 9.8% above the OEWS national median of $67,330. H-1B sponsors are certifying pay above the prevailing market rate.

H-1B employer filings for Foresters, DOL LCA data.
Employer	State	Filings	Median Wage
University of Georgia; OGE	GA	1	$75,000
Anew Climate, LLC	ID	1	$85,000
University of New Hampshire	GA	1	$61,800

Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.

Related Occupations in Life, Physical & Social Science

Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.

Physicists $155,680 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists $147,420 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $132,398 Political Scientists $132,350 Astronomers $127,930 Psychologists, All Other $117,750 Economists $115,730 Physical Scientists, All Other $112,280

All Life, Physical & Social Science occupations →

Wages by State Compare with another occupation All H-1B Employers