Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary
Forest and Conservation Technicians in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA make a median of $57,160 a year, or about $27.48 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $51,766 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 93.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Forest and conservation technicians pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 90.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forest and conservation technicians in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $63K | $59K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $61K | $54K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $62K | $55K |
| Visalia | $53K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level forest and conservation technicians (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $59K 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 |
| Vermont | $54K | -1% | 50 |
| Washington | $54K | -1% | 1,160 |
| Oklahoma | $54K | -1% | 130 |
| Wyoming | $53K | -2% | 560 |
| Arkansas | $53K | -2% | 310 |
| Idaho | $53K | -2% | 2,020 |
| New Mexico | $53K | -3% | 880 |
| Illinois | $53K | -3% | 820 |
| Florida | $52K | -4% | 380 |
| Montana | $52K | -4% | 1,760 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -4% | 250 |
| Texas | $52K | -4% | 600 |
| Iowa | $52K | -5% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $52K | -5% | 60 |
| Nebraska | $52K | -5% | 100 |
| 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
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 quarterly. We'll email you when San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forest and conservation technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 90.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forest and conservation technicians typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,630/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 132% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for forest and conservation technicians?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do forest and conservation technicians make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $57,160 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,830, and experienced forest and conservation technicians can clear $103,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,854/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 90.4% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median forest and conservation technicians salary is worth about $51,766 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.