PublicPay

Forestry Technician federal salary series 0462

Full-time federal employees in the Forestry Technician series earned a median of $65,290 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 40% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $52,142 and $77,172.

Median pay
$65,290
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$52,142–$77,172
25th–75th percentile
Employees
10,317
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+4%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Forestry Technician
All federal (full-time)

What shapes forestry technician pay

The most common grade with published pay is GW-7 (1,281 employees, median $70,914). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (9,653 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Idaho ($69,871) and lowest in Kentucky ($51,802), 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 Technician pay by grade

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

Forestry Technician pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-3 194 $36,464 $36,464–$36,464
GS-4 312 $37,193 $37,193–$37,193
GS-5 1,158 $40,736 $40,736–$43,892
GS-6 539 $48,436 $45,638–$50,335
GS-7 1,178 $55,506 $52,142–$60,553
GS-8 103 $62,998 $59,607–$70,781
GS-9 242 $74,070 $67,896–$78,186
GS-10 202 $79,295 $74,765–$81,560
GS-11 101 $87,128 $84,638–$92,107
GS-12 50 $101,443 $98,459–$105,618
GW-4 805 $57,208 $53,268–$58,335
GW-5 1,173 $59,088 $56,487–$65,854
GW-6 1,070 $63,436 $61,514–$69,551
GW-7 1,281 $70,914 $67,090–$78,607
GW-8 1,031 $77,943 $74,378–$84,083
GW-9 677 $87,403 $82,546–$90,589
GW-10 111 $91,190 $85,979–$99,005
GW-11 48 $94,794 $92,246–$100,372

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

Forestry Technician pay by agency

Forestry Technician pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Agriculture 9,653 $64,656 $51,463–$76,742
Department of the Interior 608 $75,086 $65,599–$84,974

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

Forestry Technician pay by state

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

Forestry Technician pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 2,813 $67,280 $58,335–$79,949
Oregon 1,187 $68,828 $48,436–$79,963
Idaho 798 $69,871 $50,460–$79,164
Montana 736 $68,828 $46,922–$77,689
Arizona 626 $64,346 $53,961–$76,631
Washington 534 $66,742 $45,785–$80,166
Colorado 468 $60,553 $50,460–$74,378
Utah 345 $53,824 $40,736–$78,886
New Mexico 339 $61,362 $52,195–$74,378
Wyoming 242 $55,506 $40,736–$73,802

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

Compare forestry technician pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +4.0% from $62,807 in September 2025 to $65,290 in September 2026. Headcount went from 15,353 to 10,317 (−32.8%). 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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