Forest and conservation workers plant seedlings, clear brush from trails and roadsides, count and measure trees, select or cut trees, spray or treat plants against disease, remove diseased trees, help prevent and fight forest fires and maintain equipment. Almost all of it is outdoor, physical work.
The short answer: very low exposure to generative AI, but automation is reducing some tasks. The ILO's 2025 index rates forestry and related workers as not exposed, with a score of 0.12. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 2 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed forest and conservation workers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry and Related Workers | Not exposed | 0.12 |
The ILO index measures generative AI, not robots or automated machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Forest and conservation workers | Decline 2% | About 2,200 |
The BLS says automation of these workers' tasks is expected to reduce demand. Despite heightened demand for US timber and wood pellets, it says improved technology will lessen the need for certain tasks: for example, remote sensing allows fewer workers to count and identify trees. It adds that a rise in wildfires may create some demand for fire suppression, especially on state-owned forest lands.
What automation is taking on
- Counting and identifying trees with remote sensing, as the BLS describes.
- Other manual forestry tasks, as automation continues.
What stays with forest and conservation workers
- Fieldwork: planting, clearing and treating trees on the ground.
- Fire work: helping prevent and suppress forest fires.
- Equipment: keeping tools and machines working.
- Checking AI help: generated plant or treatment advice can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Remote sensing and automation mean fewer workers for the same amount of work, according to the BLS, while wildfires may add some demand. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace foresters?, will AI replace logging workers? and will AI replace firefighters?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for forest and conservation workers at $43,680 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: high school diploma or equivalent. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace forest and conservation workers?
Generative AI is not the main factor, but the BLS projects a 2 percent decline from 2025 to 2035 as automation and remote sensing take on some tasks. It still projects about 2,200 openings a year.
How exposed are forest workers to AI?
The ILO rates forestry and related workers as not exposed, with a score of 0.12.
What technology is reducing the work?
The BLS gives remote sensing as an example, which allows fewer workers to count and identify trees.
Is anything adding demand?
The BLS says a rise in wildfires may create some demand for fire suppression, especially on state-owned forest lands.