Blog Posts
Lumber Wars: The 4-1-1 on Canadian Wood
As Canada continues to battle with the United States (U.S.) over tariffs, another natural resource has come into the spotlight amidst the trade war: lumber.
September 26, 2025
Are you interested in a career in forestry but are not sure which one may be right for you? The Canadian forestry sector has a diverse range of careers spanning from conservation management to wildland firefighting. The following career paths will provide insight into the available types of careers in the forestry sector.
Job Description: Mobile farm and forestry plant operators drive, tend, monitor, and operate motorized, mobile machinery. They operate agricultural and horticultural plants to clear and cultivate land and sow and harvest crops. They also operate tractor-drawn and self-propelled plants to plow land and sow, fertilize, cultivate, and harvest crops.
Average Salary: $75,979/yr
Educational Requirements: Most positions require a high school degree with some positions requiring an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Technical Skill Requirements: Operation of agricultural and horticultural equipment, operation monitoring, equipment maintenance, and repairing equipment.
Job Description: Woodland managers oversee the conservation and management of forests and woodlands. They create and enforce forest management plans, supervise forestry workers, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations. They also monitor forest health, plan and execute timber harvests, and manage forest regeneration.
Average Salary: $104,000/yr
Educational Requirements: Many positions will require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in resource management, forestry, or forest engineering.
Technical Skill Requirements: Stakeholder Engagement, natural resource management, forest inventory management.
Job Description: Forest technicians survey forest areas and access roads and conduct forest inventories to find the amount of timber in an area. They also track and record information on soil conditions, disease and insect damage, and water quality.
Average Salary: $54,298/yr
Educational Requirements: Most forestry technicians complete a two-year technical diploma in forestry technology, renewable resource programs, or forest range programs.
Technical Skill Requirements: Remediation, afforestation, and familiarity with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and GPS (Global Positioning Systems).
Job Description: Forest managers manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. They are also responsible for developing and implementing strategies for reforestation, tree planting, grazing, and timber harvesting.
Average Salary: $127,877/yr
Educational Requirements: Most positions require a bachelor’s degree in forestry, forest management, or botany.
Technical Skill Requirements: Forest management, GIS, and GPS data analysis.
Job Description: Foresters are involved in planning, implementing, and monitoring activities and programs to ensure the proper maintenance and growth of forests while promoting healthy ecosystems. Foresters also oversee timber harvesting operations and collect data on forest conditions, tree growth, and wildlife populations.
Average Salary: $83,106/yr
Educational Requirements: Most forester positions require a university degree in forestry or an equivalent degree. A master’s degree or Ph.D. degree is required for research positions related to being a forester.
Technical Skill Requirements: Remote sensing skills, GIS data analysis, reforestation monitoring, and patrol distribution.
Job Description: Arborists are professionals who specialize in maintaining trees and woody plants to ensure they are healthy, safe, and attractive. They climb trees and perform maintenance tasks on tree branches and work to preserve and conserve trees that are often rare or endangered. They develop sustainability plans and initiatives that promote the long-term health of forest ecosystems.
Average Salary: $59,321/yr
Educational Requirements: Most arborist positions require a technical diploma. Other arborist positions require a bachelor’s degree in botany, forestry, biology, environmental studies, ecology, horticulture, soil science, or another related field.
Technical Skill Requirements: Operation of heavy machinery, risk assessment, insect and disease control, and knowledge of fertilizer compositions.
Job Description: Forest operations supervisors are responsible for constructing, coordinating, and supervising forest operations. They act as a liaison and negotiate with stakeholders such as contractors, resource agencies, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous communities. Forest operations supervise the safety of workers and ensure compliance with all environmental regulations.
Average Salary: $87,353/yr
Educational Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in forestry, botany, agriculture, or any equivalent education is required. Some positions only require a diploma degree while others may need a master’s degree.
Technical Skill Requirements: Budgeting, timber and log quality assessments, safety and environmental program planning and development, and logging and road construction supervision.
Job Description: Forest ecologists preserve natural forest habitats and manage human impacts on living organisms and soil. Forest ecologists find forests that can be protected and restored by governments, universities, or park systems. They study the processes, ecosystems, and community dynamics in forests. They collect data and analyze forest characteristics of plant and animal species.
Average Salary: $89,816/yr
Educational Requirements: A master’s degree in ecology, biology, epidemiology, forest ecology and management, or environmental science is required for many positions. There are also positions that only require a bachelor’s degree.
Technical Skill Requirements: Fieldwork skills, insect specimen analysis, experimental procedure design, microscope use, and statistical analysis.
Job Description: Forest entomologists study insects that impact forests and wild plants. They research the life cycles, behaviors, and effects of insects in forests and wild plants. They also create and implement forest management strategies to prevent, detect, manage, and suppress forest insect pests.
Average Salary: $68,608/yr
Educational Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in entomology, biology, forestry, ecology, or another related field is required for most entry-level positions in forest entomology. A master’s degree is required for some positions.
Technical Skill Requirements: Statistical Analysis, integrated resources management, and timber supply review.
Job Description: Wood technology engineers create wood-based materials and components and construct production facilities. They supervise and manage manufacturing processes for creating wood products. Additionally, they assess wood products and materials while providing guidance to customers.
Average Salary: $91,683/yr
Educational Requirements: Most wood technology engineer positions require a bachelor’s degree in wood science, wood technology, forestry, or forest products. There are also technical diploma programs that require less time than a bachelor’s degree.
Technical Skill Requirements: Computer-aided design (CAD), planning resource allocation, and using woodwork tools and experience with construction machinery.
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