Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary
Forest and Conservation Technicians in Pittsburgh, PA make a median of $54,060 a year, or about $25.99 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $57,104 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 35.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $54K actually covers in Pittsburgh, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About forest and conservation technicians
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What this looks like in Pittsburgh
Forest and conservation technicians pay in Pittsburgh tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,299/month, which is 35.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level forest and conservation technicians (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Forest and Conservation Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $69K | +26% | 160 |
| Alaska | $68K | +25% | 500 |
| Maryland | $65K | +19% | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | +15% | 620 |
| Louisiana | $59K | +9% | 210 |
| Minnesota | $59K | +8% | 580 |
| California | $58K | +7% | 6,640 |
| New York | $58K | +6% | 190 |
| Colorado | $58K | +5% | 1,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | +5% | 420 |
| Alabama | $57K | +4% | 180 |
| Arizona | $57K | +4% | 1,310 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +4% | N/A |
| Oregon | $56K | +2% | 2,530 |
| South Carolina | $56K | +2% | 180 |
| South Dakota | $55K | +0% | 350 |
| West Virginia | $55K | +0% | 100 |
| Nevada | $54K | -1% | 750 |
| Washington | $54K | -1% | 1,160 |
| Vermont | $54K | -1% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $54K | -1% | 130 |
| Idaho | $53K | -2% | 2,020 |
| Wyoming | $53K | -2% | 560 |
| Arkansas | $53K | -2% | 310 |
| New Mexico | $53K | -3% | 880 |
| Illinois | $53K | -3% | 820 |
| Montana | $52K | -4% | 1,760 |
| Florida | $52K | -4% | 380 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -4% | 250 |
| Texas | $52K | -4% | 600 |
| Iowa | $52K | -5% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $52K | -5% | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $52K | -5% | 60 |
| Georgia | $51K | -7% | 230 |
| Hawaii | $50K | -8% | 140 |
| Virginia | $50K | -8% | 380 |
| Ohio | $49K | -10% | 230 |
| Indiana | $49K | -11% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -11% | 650 |
| Utah | $48K | -12% | 1,140 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -12% | 390 |
| Michigan | $46K | -16% | 560 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -20% | 240 |
| Kansas | $42K | -24% | 170 |
| Missouri | $34K | -38% | 600 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track forest and conservation technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a forest and conservation technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 35.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for forest and conservation technicians in Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forest and conservation technicians typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,848/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forest and conservation technician a high-paying job in Pittsburgh?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for forest and conservation technicians?
Pittsburgh pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do forest and conservation technicians make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $54,060 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,590, and experienced forest and conservation technicians can clear $71,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,651/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 35.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a forest and conservation technicians salary go in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median forest and conservation technicians salary is worth about $57,104 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do forest and conservation technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.