Forest Ecologist Salary in the United States

How much does a Forest Ecologist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Forest Ecologist in the United States is $59,612 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, a Forest Ecologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,564
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,427 to $65,868
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $47,796

Key Factors That Influence Forest Ecologist Salaries

A Forest Ecologist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Forest Ecologist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Forest Ecologist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $59,152
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $66,707
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,674
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $112,230
  • Expert (over 8 years): $94,675
Levels Salary
Forest Ec... Level Forest Ecologist$59,152
Meeting/E... Level Forest Ecologist$66,707
Meeting/E... Level Forest Ecologist$91,674
Meeting/E... Level Forest Ecologist$112,230
Meeting/E... Level Forest Ecologist$94,675

Top Paying Cities for Forest Ecologists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $75,189
  • San Francisco: $74,365
  • Oakland: $72,798

What Skills Can Increase a Forest Ecologist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 13.84% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Event Marketing (Mentioned in 1.72% Job Postings): Event marketing is the experiential marketing of a brand, service, or product through promotional events. It typically involves direct interaction with a brand's representatives. It should not be confused with event management, which is a process of organizing, promoting and conducting events. Trade shows are an example of event marketing.
  • Customer Engagement (Mentioned in 1.39% Job Postings): Customer engagement is a business communication connection between an external stakeholder (consumer) and an organization (company or brand) through various channels of correspondence. This connection can be a reaction, interaction, effect or overall customer experience, which takes place online and offline. The term can also be used to define customer-to-customer correspondence regarding a communication, product, service or brand. However, the latter dissemination originates from a business-to-consumer interaction resonated at a subconscious level. Online customer engagement is qualitatively different from offline engagement as the nature of the customer’s interactions with a brand, company and other customers differ on the internet. Discussion forums or blogs, for example, are spaces where people can communicate and socialise in ways that cannot be replicated by any offline interactive medium. Online customer engagement is a social phenomenon that became mainstream with the wide adoption of the internet in the late 1990s, which has expanded the technical developments in broadband speed, connectivity and social media. These factors enable customer behaviour to regularly engage in online communities revolving, directly or indirectly, around product categories and other consumption topics. This process leads to a customer’s positive engagement with the company or offering, as well as the behaviours associated with different degrees of customer engagement.
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 13.84%
Event Marketing 1.72%
Customer Engagement 1.39%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Forest Ecologist's salary.

  • Supply Chain: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • Merchandising: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Supply Chain $69,150
16%
Merchandising $66,169
11%
Project Management $64,977
9%

Forest Ecologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Forest Ecologist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Internet sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 22% above the average. In contrast, Forest Ecologist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Forest Ecologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Forest Ecologist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$72,727$35.022%
Internet$70,342$34.018%
Insurance$66,766$32.012%
Energy & Utilities$65,573$32.010%
Healthcare$64,381$31.08%

How Education impacts a Forest Ecologist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Forest Ecologists enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Forest Ecologist with a No Diploma is between $60,780 and $64,386).

Forest Ecologist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Forest Ecologist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 11.8%
Associates 7.6%
Bachelors 72.4%
Masters 7.0%
Doctorate 0.9%

Forest Ecologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Forest Ecologist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$53,427
Average $59,612/year
$65,868
$4,452
Average $4,968/month
$5,489
$1,027
Average $1,146/week
$1,267
$26
Average $29/hour
$32
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $65,868 $5,489 $1,267 $32
Average $59,612 $4,968 $1,146 $29
25th Percentile $53,427 $4,452 $1,027 $26

Most common benefits for Forest Ecologist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Forest Ecologist

Here are companies hiring for Forest Ecologist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Forest Ecologist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Forest Ecologist?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Forest Ecologist roles, with salaries approximately 22% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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