PublicPay

Forestry federal salary series 0460

Full-time federal employees in the Forestry series earned a median of $84,638 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 23% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $73,408 and $98,459.

Median pay
$84,638
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$73,408–$98,459
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,597
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1.4%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Forestry
All federal (full-time)

What shapes forestry pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (623 employees, median $85,931). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (1,258 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Tennessee ($102,935) and lowest in Arizona ($74,678), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Forestry pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Forestry pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 517 $67,896 $65,838–$73,999
GS-11 623 $85,931 $81,954–$92,107
GS-12 319 $105,834 $98,459–$112,518
GS-13 69 $126,587 $120,629–$134,770
GS-14 33 $152,456 $146,310–$158,939

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Forestry pay by agency

Forestry pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Agriculture 1,258 $84,315 $72,012–$98,459
Department of the Interior 240 $89,618 $77,677–$103,486

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Forestry pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Forestry pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Oregon 217 $84,638 $73,842–$98,459
California 124 $85,089 $74,222–$98,831
Montana 122 $82,148 $69,954–$95,475
Idaho 93 $77,168 $66,181–$89,652
Colorado 89 $87,128 $73,408–$106,169
Washington 66 $87,128 $78,883–$108,834
Arizona 60 $74,678 $67,896–$95,036
Michigan 54 $79,658 $67,896–$89,618
Wisconsin 48 $81,425 $76,394–$95,220
Minnesota 42 $90,862 $75,300–$116,362

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare forestry pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.4% from $83,440 in September 2025 to $84,638 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,858 to 1,597 (−14.0%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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