Foresters
SOC Code: 19-1032
Foresters carries a 26% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $70,660 and +1.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 13,800 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 26% AI exposure, Foresters sits 11 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 17% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
62/100
Foresters, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B- $70,660
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +1.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A- 26% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Foresters in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Foresters shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Slow growth (245 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Foresters sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Foresters sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
26% Among the lowest lower than 83% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Foresters vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Foresters is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Foresters's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-1032) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Foresters be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Foresters. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.
- 2. Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
- 3. Plan and implement projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality.
- 4. Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources.
- 5. Plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals.
- 6. Procure timber from private landowners.
- 7. Determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage.
- 8. Subcontract with loggers or pulpwood cutters for tree removal and to aid in road layout.
- 9. Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
- 10. Map forest area soils and vegetation to estimate the amount of standing timber and future value and growth.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Systems Evaluation
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Biology
- Law and Government
- Mathematics
- Geography
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Foresters?
Foresters has an AI exposure score of 26%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Foresters?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Foresters is projected to grow by 1.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 13,800 workers.
What skills are needed for Foresters?
Key skills for Foresters include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Foresters earn?
The median annual wage for Foresters is $70,660, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Foresters?
The typical entry-level education for Foresters is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Foresters?
Foresters roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Foresters: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (26% here).
- Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 26%
- Architectural and engineering managers · AI exposure 26%
- Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 26%
- Athletic trainers · AI exposure 26%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.2% here).
- Air traffic controllers · growth +1.2%
- Biological scientists, all other · growth +1.2%
- Camera operators, television, video, and film · growth +1.2%
- Economists · growth +1.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 30 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Foresters' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Foresters side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).