Forest and Conservation Workers Salary
Forest and Conservation Workers in Salinas, CA make a median of $43,680 a year, or about $21 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $40,059 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 89% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). 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 Salinas
Forest and conservation workers pay in Salinas tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,684/month, which is 89% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), 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 workers in metros near Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $36K | $31K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | $38K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $44K | $41K |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $44K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level forest and conservation workers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $27K 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 with published data
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 Salinas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forest and conservation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 89% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forest and conservation workers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,621/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 102% 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 Salinas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for forest and conservation workers?
Salinas pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do forest and conservation workers make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $43,680 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,680, and experienced forest and conservation workers can clear $71,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,017/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 89% 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 Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (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 workers salary is worth about $40,059 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.