Forestry
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Forestry occupation series (code 0460).
The verdict
With 1,626 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Forestry ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Biological Sciences Group family, and headcount declined 0.6% from the prior period. Its average salary of $88,902 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 1,626
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $88,902
- Avg tenure
- 15.1 yrs
FedScope read on Forestry (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 1,626 people in the Forestry occupation (OPM code 0460), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.6% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Forestry is $88,902 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 15.1 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Biological Sciences Group family (code 04) groups Forestry together with 30 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Forestry postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family.
Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Forestry holds the #9 spot by headcount, a 2.4% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (29th percentile) of pay among Biological Sciences Group occupations.
Salary Context
How Forestry pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$88,902
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-24.2%
Where Forestry ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $88,902 is higher than 45% of federal occupation series (241 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Forestry sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Forestry ranks higher than 45%.
Related Occupations in Biological Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences | 23,662 | $124,641 | 14 yrs |
| Forestry Technician | 11,090 | $61,659 | 8.7 yrs |
| Wildland Fire Management | 9,667 | $64,457 | 7 yrs |
| Biological Science Technician | 5,212 | $56,618 | 8.9 yrs |
| Soil Conservation | 4,101 | $89,391 | 13.8 yrs |
| Wildlife Biology | 1,868 | $95,468 | 16.3 yrs |
| Fish Biology | 1,629 | $116,550 | 16.2 yrs |
| Microbiology | 1,629 | $143,306 | 16.3 yrs |
| Ecology | 989 | $122,664 | 16.1 yrs |
| Rangeland Management | 692 | $88,317 | 14.6 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Forestry outside the Biological Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,626 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($88,902 here).
Key takeaways
- Forestry pays below the federal average by 24.2% ($88,902 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 45th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,626 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.6% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Forestry ranks #169 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Forestry holds the #9 spot by headcount, a 2.4% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.