Forester

Salary
Average wage: £16,700

Main Employers

• Forestry Commission
• Private estates and national parks
• Land agency firms
• Utility companies
• Local authorities
• NGOs

Job Profile
Foresters manage and care for forest resources, planting and harvesting forests, supervising land crews, constructing trails and facilities for visitors, monitoring water quality, and protecting wildlife and plant habitats. Work in forestry is physically taxing and often requires living a rugged, minimalist lifestyle.

Roles and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

• Tree planting, thinning and felling
• Road building
• Fencing
• Sawing timber

Qualifications
Those employed as craftsmen and contractors are increasingly expected to have a high level of skill due to the expanding mechanisation and the need to run their own business as self-employed contractors.

No academic qualifications are required to start but experience is extremely beneficial and may be found through working for forestry contractors, nurserymen, local authority parks departments, landscapers, gardeners or tree surgeons. Government funded training schemes for school leavers, young people and unemployed adults give a good foundation for getting a job in forestry.

Career Development
The general structure for progression is forest worker, forest supervisor, then forest manager (the top end of the scale can be reached after approximately ten years). Within this structure, there are a range of opportunities for individuals with the right combination of qualifications and experience.

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