A few forestry career questions

[madsalts]

Hi, this is my first posting.  I'm considering a career in forestry, and am so far somewhat discouraged.  I checked the federal jobs registry, USAjobs.gov, and see that there are 51 forestry jobs listed.  

I have a few questions.

Considering the number of forestry grads, I'd guess that getting a federal job in forestry is next to impossible.  Are things any better at the state level?  I'd be willing to work in any state.  Even so, the world only needs so many foresters, so I'd guess that these jobs are few and far between also, right?

Are there extreme physical demands of being a forester?  Carrying a forty pound pack every day might be painful, due to a neck injury from years back.

What sorts of qualifications are needed?  I have a degree in biology.  If I were to go this career route, I'd get a masters in forestry online.  I'd guess that I'd need some practical experience not taught online, though.  Could I take a class or two of undergrad forestry studies, or apprentice for a few months to gain sufficient practical knowledge?

How much of a barrier to hiring/advancement is not being a racial/ethnic minority?  Though I'm pretty much physically functional, I do have a disability rating from a doctor regarding my neck.  Would this be sufficient for me to be hired/promoted under affirmative action quotas?

 Would I have to take a potentially endless series of seasonal jobs before getting a shot at a full time position?  

What salary could I hope to make full time starting in the field?

What are middle level indoor forestry jobs for states like, are they just like any other job in front of a computer? 

Do states have mandatory retirement at certain ages?

Thanks!

[BaldBob]

Federal and State positions are not the only games in town. Timber companies, TIMO's, Timber REITS,  NGO's such as The Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Lands, forest management consultants, some banks, some utility companies, some real estate firms, Ag chemical companies, some Native American corporations, as well as a few counties and municipalities that own considerable timber land all hire foresters. Even within the feds, its not just the Forest Service.  The BLM, the Dept. of Defense, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Soil Conservation Service, and the National Park system all hire foresters.

Very few forestry jobs require carrying a heavy pack. The physical demands on a field forester are largely dependant on the topography and vegetation of the area of work.

A biology degree might qualify you for a few Federal positions, but a Forestry degree, either at the graduate or undergraduate level is the ticket for most positions.

I've been retired for a few years so I can't answer your questions about Equal Employment  or affirmative action issues.

Seasonal jobs , while not a requirement for getting a full time position, are always helpful in doing so.

Starting forestry salaries are generally in the same range as teacher salaries.

Until person gets to be senior enough to work on forest policy, indoor jobs in forestry generally are related to GIS systems or forest biometrics both of which are usually handled by people with advanced education or experience in those fields.

I can't answer your question about mandatory retirement age.

[RPF2509]

Baldbob has summarized the situation nicely.  There are plenty of jobs out there and the future looks good - trees keep growing.  Maybe get a technician job for the summer to see what its about.  You don't state your age - how long would you be in the game for?  Don't limit yourself to feds and state - those jobs are stagnant now though the feds are in a crisis of retirement with no new blood coming in but no money for new hires.  State situation varies by state. Most are underfunded.  Private generally pays better with more options and quick advancement if you are capable. Physical limitations should not be too much an issue as long as you can walk and want to do field work.  Lots of variety of subject matter in forestry.  Its a very broad discipline and most any specialty will find a job to do.  Over half of the registered professional foresters in CA are over 50, about a dozen people pass the licensing exam a year.

[madsalts]

Thanks for the replies.  One other thing, how much social interaction is there?  Walking in the woods is great, but I do enjoy spending time with people also.

[BaldBob]

The amount of social interaction will be largely dependant on the field of forestry you choose. As  RPF2509 stated, forestry is a very broad and diverse field.  In many field forestry positions you would be working mostly alone with possibly occasional crew projects. Alternatively you could be in a job that requires constant interaction with land owners, stakeholders, loggers, recreational users, concessionaires, ranchers, mill representatives, or members of other disciplines such as soil scientists, hydrologists and wildlife management specialists.

Based on your questions, I strongly advise you to try to get a temporary forest technician job to get a better idea what the profession is all about before deciding if this is the path you want to follow. Use that as an opportunity to observe other aspects of that particular operation beyond your specific assignments.  Also, most forestry schools have a Forestry 101 (or similar course ) that is an intro to the profession and its various permutations. That is something that would be worth checking out before you commit further.

[Ron Scott]

Some good advice.

You will find no lack of public involvement in most forestry positions you might take, especially if you work in the public sector jobs of the USFS, State, or County forestry positions. Sociology is now a recommended class to take in the forestry curriculum.

[madsalts]

Thanks.  I think I have all of the info I need to proceed.

[Okefenokee_D]

I'm with a State agency. We have been losing a lot of people due to our pay. We are getting a pay bump this next check in hopes to keep people with us.

But like I tell many that come on board with us...the pay may not be great, we have decent insurance, but what job will let you take off most anytime that you want (if we aren't having wildfires constantly, etc)? Many jobs will try to fire you for taking off even one day. We only earn "Comp time" when we work over 40 hours a week. We only get "Overtime" when we are on Federal incidents. So there are times that you can make money if you want, but lots of people don't want to travel to go make that money.


Federal. Lots of people like it..they do get paid more and sometimes have better benefits. But the issue lately has been the Government shutdowns.


Private industry...you can make the money and get overtime if they let you, but job security wise....the business can easily end tomorrow. People left the State and worked for Union Camp (timber company) then Union Camp sold out and all of those people lost their jobs.