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Forest worker

Also called woodland worker, forestry worker, woodland assistant

Forest workers carry out a variety of jobs to care for and manage trees, woodland areas and forests. Their activities include planting, trimming, thinning and felling trees and protecting them from pests, diseases and damage.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects3 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €700 (Bulgaria) to €3,800 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourersWhat do I need to study?Basic schooling6 in 10 have basic schooling only. 5 in 10 train through vocational routes.Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Forestry labourers · ILO

What you'd do

Forestry labourers · ILO
  • Digging holes for tree planting
  • Stacking and loading logs and timber
  • Clearing undergrowth in forest stands and thinning young plantations
  • Maintaining look-out for fires in forests
  • Removing major branches and tree tops, trimming branches and sawing trunks into logs
  • Operating and maintaining manual and hand-held machine saws to fell trees and cut felled trees and branches into logs
  • Collecting seeds, and planting seedlings
  • Performing minor repairs and maintenance of forest roads, buildings, facilities, and equipment
Execute disease and pest control activitiesBuild fencesAct with a high level of safety awarenessNurse treesPlant green plants+ 18 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors and outdoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Forest and Conservation Workers"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers in the EU
1.81m1.92m1.45m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
455,000 replacing leavers 405,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers3
All jobs29
Right now
6 of 27 countries report a shortage of forestry labourers, 4 a surplus.
Forestry labourers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €700 a month (Bulgaria) to €3,800 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among elementary occupations in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Elementary occupations · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Basic schooling

Most people start with basic schooling and learn on the job.

Highest qualification of agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers (EU, 2025)
Degree 5%Vocational 25%General secondary 8%Basic schooling 61%
Fields that teach it
Forestry · Forestry
Vocational route, EU
5 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.09 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 8 tasks
Performing minor repairs and maintenance of forest roads, buildings, facilities, and equipment0.12
Collecting seeds, and planting seedlings0.11
Maintaining look-out for fires in forests0.11
Clearing undergrowth in forest stands and thinning young plantations0.09
Digging holes for tree planting0.09
Stacking and loading logs and timber0.08
Operating and maintaining manual and hand-held machine saws to fell trees and cut felled trees and branches into logs0.08
Removing major branches and tree tops, trimming branches and sawing trunks into logs0.07

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for forestry labourers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).