Foresters Salary
Foresters in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL make a median of $70,340 a year, or about $33.82 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.42), that's roughly $69,355 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,972/month, about 40.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $70K get you in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford’s Regional Price Parity (101.42). 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 foresters
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What this looks like in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford
Foresters pay in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford tracks closely to the national median, $70K locally vs. $76K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,972/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.42) 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 foresters in metros near Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $59K | $52K |
| Jacksonville | $71K | $71K |
| Gainesville | $52K | $53K |
| Tallahassee | $66K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Entry-level foresters (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Foresters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Foresters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $107K | +40% | 820 |
| Massachusetts | $90K | +17% | 130 |
| Alaska | $87K | +14% | 80 |
| South Carolina | $87K | +14% | 250 |
| Maryland | $86K | +13% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $85K | +11% | 60 |
| Iowa | $83K | +9% | 50 |
| Illinois | $82K | +8% | 220 |
| Oregon | $81K | +7% | 670 |
| Vermont | $81K | +6% | 80 |
| Texas | $80K | +5% | 210 |
| Alabama | $80K | +4% | 240 |
| Washington | $78K | +3% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $78K | +2% | 310 |
| North Carolina | $78K | +2% | N/A |
| Georgia | $77K | +1% | 370 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +0% | 390 |
| Colorado | $76K | +0% | 210 |
| Michigan | $76K | -1% | 340 |
| Utah | $75K | -2% | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $75K | -2% | N/A |
| New York | $74K | -4% | 280 |
| Ohio | $73K | -4% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -6% | 120 |
| Virginia | $72K | -6% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $71K | -7% | 110 |
| Arkansas | $69K | -9% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -9% | 50 |
| Wyoming | $68K | -11% | 60 |
| Kansas | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Montana | $67K | -12% | 240 |
| Arizona | $67K | -12% | 70 |
| Maine | $66K | -13% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -14% | 570 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -15% | 110 |
| Idaho | $65K | -15% | 280 |
| South Dakota | $64K | -16% | 120 |
| Florida | $64K | -16% | 380 |
| Missouri | $63K | -17% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -18% | 100 |
| Indiana | $61K | -20% | 160 |
| Kentucky | $56K | -26% | 120 |
| Nevada | $51K | -33% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -33% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track foresters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forester afford a 2BR apartment alone in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,972/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for foresters in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new foresters typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,979/month. At HUD’s $1,972/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forester a high-paying job in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $70K locally vs. $76K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford compare to the national average for foresters?
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do foresters make in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
The median is $70,340 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,650, and experienced foresters can clear $103,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,823/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,972/month, which eats 40.9% 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 foresters salary go in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford?
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford has a Regional Price Parity of 101.42 (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 foresters salary is worth about $69,355 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do foresters 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.
