Forest and Conservation Workers Salary
Forest and Conservation Workers in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA make a median of $36,080 a year, or about $17.35 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 115.61), so that salary is closer to $31,208 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,604/month, about 144.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont’s Regional Price Parity (115.61). 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
Pay for forest and conservation workers in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,604/month, which is 142.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 16% above the national average (BEA RPP 115.61), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for forest and conservation workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forest and conservation workers in metros near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | $38K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $44K | $41K |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $44K | $40K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $44K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Entry-level forest and conservation workers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $19K 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forest and conservation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 142.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,604/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forest and conservation workers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,165/month. At HUD’s $3,604/month FMR, rent would take 166% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $36K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont compare to the national average for forest and conservation workers?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 115.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do forest and conservation workers make in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The median is $36,080 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,080, and experienced forest and conservation workers can clear $55,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,534/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,604/month, which eats 142.2% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has a Regional Price Parity of 115.61 (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 $31,208 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.