Forester
Also called forest manager, woodland manager, forestry manager
Foresters are responsible for monitoring the natural and economic viability of a woodland or forest and for activities related to its management and conservation.
What you'd do
Agricultural and forestry production managers · ILO- Monitoring agricultural and forestry market activity and planning production to meet contract requirements and market demand
- Establishing and managing budgets, monitoring production output and costs, recording information such as farm management practices, and preparing financial and operational reports
- Conferring with buyers to arrange for the sale of crops and livestock
- Contracting with farmers or independent owners for production of crops and livestock, or for management of production
- Planning the type, intensity and sequence of farm operations (e.g. determining the best times for planting, spraying and harvesting)
- Analysing soil to determine types and quantities of fertilizer required for maximum production
- Purchasing machinery, equipment, and supplies such as tractors, seed, fertilizer, and chemicals
- Identifying and controlling agricultural and forest environmental toxins, weeds, pests and diseases
- Organizing farming operations such as maintaining buildings, water supply systems and equipment
- Directing and coordinating activities such as planting, irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, and grading
- Inspecting plantations and fields to determine maturity dates of crops, or to estimate potential crop damage from weather
- Overseeing the selection, training and performance of agricultural and forestry workers and contractors
Organise tree plantationsManage forestsMonitor forest productivitySupervise forestry workersWrite technical reports related to trees+ 5 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
- Often more than 40 hours a week
- Deadlines now and then
- Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Foresters"
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospectsMany jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
1,045,000 new jobs
1,100,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Right now
1 of 27 countries report a shortage of agricultural and forestry production managers, 3 a surplus.
Agricultural and forestry production managers · EURESWhat does it pay?
Well above averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €3,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €11,300 (Italy), 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 managers in the EU, women earn 27% less per hour than men. Managers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Usually a degreeA degree in forestry is the usual route.
Highest qualification of production and specialized services managers (EU, 2025)
Degree 63%Vocational 22%General secondary 8%Basic schooling 7%
Fields that teach it
Forestry · Crop and livestock production · Law
Vocational route, EU
5 in 10 trainees in this field
Agriculture graduates in a matching job
73% in the EU
330 institutions in the EU offer agriculture bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
LittleAI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.
How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High
Average task score 0.27 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 12 tasks
Establishing and managing budgets, monitoring production output and costs, recording information such as farm management practices, and preparing financial and operational reports0.57
Monitoring agricultural and forestry market activity and planning production to meet contract requirements and market demand0.42
Planning the type, intensity and sequence of farm operations (e.g. determining the best times for planting, spraying and harvesting)0.40
Conferring with buyers to arrange for the sale of crops and livestock0.26
Analysing soil to determine types and quantities of fertilizer required for maximum production0.25
Inspecting plantations and fields to determine maturity dates of crops, or to estimate potential crop damage from weather0.25
Contracting with farmers or independent owners for production of crops and livestock, or for management of production0.23
Overseeing the selection, training and performance of agricultural and forestry workers and contractors0.22
Identifying and controlling agricultural and forest environmental toxins, weeds, pests and diseases0.19
Purchasing machinery, equipment, and supplies such as tractors, seed, fertilizer, and chemicals0.18
Organizing farming operations such as maintaining buildings, water supply systems and equipment0.14
Directing and coordinating activities such as planting, irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, and grading0.14
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 agricultural and forestry production managers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).