Associates in Forestry: Degree Types, How Long It Takes, Careers & Salary

Video Transcript

Host Question:
What is an associate in forestry degree? How long would that take to obtain and what careers could you pursue with just that degree? So I did a little research on this. There aren’t too many colleges that offer an associates in forestry on their site in Pennsylvania, I believe, and maybe a couple out west, but a lot of times those are two year programs. And basically it’s your basic natural sciences, and a lot of people that graduate those will end up working as a wildlife or conservation technician for a few years. So maybe working on a crew under a Forester or an actual conservation or wildlife biologist, like doing surveys, which is what I did for a while. Like, “How is this dream habitat going to affect the salmon in the upper Columbia River basin?”, or “How many of these trees do we need to mark so that when the loggers come and harvest it, then they harvested at the proper stand density”, they don’t take too many and they don’t take too few. Or you could go private and a lot of times we’ll end up working in the private industry for a logging or timber harvesting company. So I would say that those are pretty entry level or positions. You’re not going to be forest district conservation biologist with an associate’s degree, but two year degree is obviously a lot more affordable and less of a time commitment and you can get good jobs at that. And a lot of states now I know the state I grew up in have programs which are basically at two years at a community or Technical College actually paid for. So that can be a really good option because once you get into the field, a lot of times, like I said, education experience can be equally valued depending on where you want to go. So if you get an associate’s and you get experience doing those surveys or technician work wherever you end up going, then you can really benefit yourself later down the line and not necessarily have to have gotten a four year or higher degree.

Guest Answer:
Typically, an associate degree is going to take two years with something related to the environmental studies field. Obviously programs vary, but that’s going to be your average. And unlike with some other industries where it might be very hard to get your foot in the door with just an associate’s degree, there are plenty of entry level jobs that you can get with an associate’s degree speaking specifically to forestry, two years of schooling is usually enough to get you an entry level job at a place like the Forest Service as a go forward. Yes five. Working as a forestry technician, doing something similar to what I do or working on timber sale prep, which is preparing timber sales to be sold, or working for a private Consulting Group which may work with private landowners or may do contracting work for government agencies. There are plenty of consulting groups, for instance, that hire out timber markers or cruisers. These are folks who designate timber for either removal or for retention in timber sales, or who estimate the volume of timber and timber sales. And that’s the sort of field work that you might be doing as an entry level forestry technician.

Guest Answer:
So for associates, degree is usually about two years, maybe a little bit less if you don’t take a break during the summer. But some of the jobs you can get with an associate’s degree and sometimes you don’t even need associate’s degree for these jobs. A big one is a forest or wildland firefighter. It’s a very physical job. You will have to do like a physical fitness test. But our forest firefighters are so important, especially right now. They are the ones that prevent and stop fires, mostly in the, you know, very big remote areas out West. They also help do controlled burns. They help before. Stay healthy. Another career you could do that won’t be as physical as forestry technician, and you’ll mostly still be working outdoors. But you do research on protecting wildlife forest plant species. You’ll collect and analyze different data and specimens, but you’ll be underneath higher up people. So you won’t be doing your work on your own.

Guest Answer:
Really associates. Typically, there’s not really associated environmental management. There’s like associates of environmental studies. There’s actually not a lot of associate degrees out there for environmental. If someone is looking to really get in that field, don’t get an associates. It’s not going to help you. It’s just going to make you a better at your position. And it’s not going to elevate you ever.

Guest Answer:
So actually an associate’s degree isn’t offered. So you either you have your high school diploma or equivalent or you have a bachelor’s degree. Now, as far as like your lower educational background, you can work with the city and be a force technician. You can work with different parks and recreation on that side.

Guest Answer:
You can actually have a good job like what my professor had, but like at a smaller location, for example, like a civil engineering firm, like they would need an environmental manager at their firm with an associates in certain states like mine. You could absolutely get a job like that. I’m not sure about other states, but I in the Southern states and associates is. It’s not very common. And a bachelor’s is definitely not quite.