The average salary for a forester in Illinois is around $82,160 per year.
Avg Salary
Foresters earn an average yearly salary of $82,160.
Wages typically start from $60,230 and go up to $120,150.
17% above national average Updated in 2025
Forester earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level forester earnings begin at:
$57.77 per hour
$120,150 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level forester earnings begin at:
$50.76 per hour
$105,580 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level forester earnings begin at:
$39.50 per hour
$82,160 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level forester earnings begin at:
$35.33 per hour
$73,490 per year
10th percentile
Starting level forester earnings begin at:
$28.96 per hour
$60,230 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Forester salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $89,650 |
| Alaska | $87,210 |
| South Carolina | $86,780 |
| Maryland | $86,100 |
| Connecticut | $84,820 |
| Iowa | $83,000 |
| Illinois | $82,160 |
| Oregon | $81,450 |
| Vermont | $80,750 |
| Texas | $80,370 |
| New Jersey | $80,300 |
| Alabama | $79,530 |
| Washington | $78,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,280 |
| North Carolina | $77,870 |
| Georgia | $76,970 |
| Minnesota | $76,490 |
| Colorado | $76,400 |
| Michigan | $75,920 |
| Utah | $75,210 |
| District of Columbia | $74,710 |
| New York | $73,710 |
| Ohio | $73,320 |
| Tennessee | $71,990 |
| Virginia | $71,990 |
| Louisiana | $71,420 |
| Mississippi | $71,280 |
| Arkansas | $69,240 |
| New Mexico | $69,240 |
| Wyoming | $68,180 |
| Kansas | $67,540 |
| Arizona | $67,200 |
| Montana | $67,200 |
| Maine | $66,480 |
| Wisconsin | $66,010 |
| Idaho | $65,170 |
| New Hampshire | $65,170 |
| South Dakota | $64,460 |
| Florida | $64,130 |
| Missouri | $63,220 |
| West Virginia | $62,550 |
| Indiana | $61,110 |
| Nebraska | $57,560 |
| Kentucky | $56,460 |
| North Dakota | $51,750 |
| Nevada | $51,070 |
| Oklahoma | $50,990 |
| California | $107,120 |
How do forester salaries compare to similar careers?
Foresters earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than climate change analysts but more than soil and water conservationists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Climate change analyst salary | $82K |
| Industrial ecologist salary | $82K |
| Environmental consultant salary | $82K |
| Geographer salary | $93K |
| Soil and plant scientist salary | $79K |
| Forester salary | $82K |
| Geodesist salary | $76K |
| Biomass plant technician salary | $78K |
| Park naturalist salary | $70K |
| Soil and water conservationist salary | $70K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)