Foresters Salary
Foresters in Reno, NV make a median of $48,620 a year, or about $23.38 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.01), that's roughly $48,134 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,870/month, about 53.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Reno?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reno’s Regional Price Parity (101.01). 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 Reno
Pay for foresters in Reno runs about 36% below the U.S. median of $76K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,870/month, which is 54.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.01) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for foresterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for foresters in metros near Reno, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $90K | $85K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $108K | $101K |
| Salem | $89K | $86K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $108K | $95K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reno, NV
Entry-level foresters (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $13K 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 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -9% | 50 |
| Arkansas | $69K | -9% | 130 |
| Wyoming | $68K | -11% | 60 |
| Kansas | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Arizona | $67K | -12% | 70 |
| Montana | $67K | -12% | 240 |
| 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
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 Reno numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forester afford a 2BR apartment alone in Reno?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 54.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,870/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 foresters in Reno?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new foresters typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,917/month. At HUD’s $1,870/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Reno?
Local pay runs 36% below the national median — $49K here vs. $76K nationally.
How does Reno compare to the national average for foresters?
Reno pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.01), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do foresters make in Reno, NV?
The median is $48,620 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,620, and experienced foresters can clear $61,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Reno?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,425/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,870/month, which eats 54.6% 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 Reno?
Reno has a Regional Price Parity of 101.01 (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 $48,134 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.