Forest and Conservation Technicians build judgment and decision making, time management and instructing skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists (90%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | 90% | $56,870 | +4% | None |
| 2 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 80% | $43,680 | −20% | None |
| 3 | Foresters | 78% | $76,400 | +40% | Bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Fish and Game Wardens | 77% | $74,060 | +36% | None |
| 5 | Conservation Scientists | 76% | $73,010 | +34% | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Range Managers | 76% | $73,010Pay for the broader BLS group “Conservation Scientists” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 7 | Airfield Operations Specialists | 74% | $56,850 | +4% | None |
| 8 | Police Identification and Records Officers | 74% | $93,790Pay for the broader BLS group “Detectives and Criminal Investigators” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | 73% | $59,320 | +9% | None |
| 10 | Traffic Technicians | 73% | $59,090 | +8% | None |
Compared with Forest and Conservation Technicians, median $54,560. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as forest and conservation technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
90% skill match · $56,870 · +4% pay
Coordination · Negotiation · Complex Problem Solving
80% skill match · $43,680 · −20% pay
Equipment Maintenance
78% skill match · $76,400 · +40% pay
Negotiation · Management of Material Resources · Management of Financial Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists (90% skill match, median $56,870), Forest and Conservation Workers (80% skill match, median $43,680) and Foresters (78% skill match, median $76,400), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 18 pay more than forest and conservation technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Air Traffic Controllers (+171%, $148,080), Power Distributors and Dispatchers (+96%, $106,730) and Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (+69%, $92,460).
19 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.