Forest and Conservation Workers Salary
Forest and Conservation Workers in Columbus, OH make a median of $47,730 a year, or about $22.95 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $49,995 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,430/month, about 43.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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 workers
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What this looks like in Columbus
Forest and conservation workers pay in Columbus tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,430/month, which is 43.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forest and conservation workers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $48K | $52K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $39K | $39K |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level forest and conservation workers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Forest and Conservation Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Forest and Conservation Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | $59K | +36% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $56K | +29% | 60 |
| Virginia | $55K | +25% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $52K | +19% | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | +15% | 210 |
| Ohio | $48K | +11% | 160 |
| Arkansas | $47K | +8% | 30 |
| Oregon | $46K | +5% | 70 |
| Washington | $44K | +2% | 460 |
| South Carolina | $44K | +1% | 40 |
| California | $44K | +0% | 2,270 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -5% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -8% | 210 |
| Louisiana | $40K | -9% | 150 |
| Minnesota | $40K | -9% | 30 |
| South Dakota | $38K | -13% | 490 |
| Colorado | $38K | -14% | 110 |
| Missouri | $37K | -15% | 120 |
| Florida | $37K | -16% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | -17% | 300 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -17% | 30 |
| Nevada | $36K | -18% | N/A |
| Georgia | $34K | -22% | 160 |
| Connecticut | $34K | -22% | 40 |
| Iowa | $34K | -23% | 40 |
| Montana | $33K | -25% | N/A |
| Texas | $30K | -30% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track forest and conservation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forest and conservation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 43.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for forest and conservation workers in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forest and conservation workers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,912/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forest and conservation worker a high-paying job in Columbus?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for forest and conservation workers?
Columbus pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do forest and conservation workers make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $47,730 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,870, and experienced forest and conservation workers can clear $62,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,315/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 43.1% 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 workers salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 workers salary is worth about $49,995 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do forest and conservation workers 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.