Career profile Β· live from the Careermash careers engine
Career profile

Forestry and related workers n.e.c.

Forestry workers plant, manage and harvest trees and look after woodlands and forests. It is physical outdoor work that suits hardy, practical people who love being outside, don't mind hard graft and care about the natural environment.
No degree needed for many routesApprenticeship routeEntry routes with no formal quals
Apprenticeship route
0
AI impact
how much AI is reshaping it
Robin Β· your guide
Curious about being a forestry and related workers n.e.c.? Here's the honest picture - what you'd really do, what you'd earn, and every way in. No need to decide anything yet.

What you'd actually do

The work includes planting young trees, clearing and thinning woodland, felling and processing timber, controlling pests and weeds, and maintaining paths and fences. Physical fitness, an awareness of safety around heavy and dangerous equipment, and a willingness to work in all weathers matter, since this can be tough and hazardous work.

Hours are often long and seasonal, the work is remote and weather-dependent, and pay commonly starts around the minimum or skilled-trade rate depending on the task. It is demanding on the body, but rewarding for people who want to work outdoors and look after the land.

Many workers start with no formal qualifications and learn on the job, while forestry apprenticeships and college courses help. Chainsaw and other tickets and certificates are legally needed for certain machinery, and a CSCS card and driving licence are often required.

1Plant and protect young trees
2Thin, prune and clear woodland
3Fell and process timber safely
4Operate chainsaws and machinery with the right tickets
5Control pests, weeds and disease
6Maintain paths, fences and access
7Follow strict safety procedures

Degrees that lead here via Environment & Land

Degree options are mapped from subjects - explore the buckets to find related courses.

Apprenticeships that lead here

How to get in - your routes

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Career data: role, pay and progression profiles built for Careermash's careers engine; AI-impact estimates from Anthropic's observed AI-usage telemetry and OpenAI's AI Jobs Transition Framework. Course data: HESA / Discover Uni, including Graduate Outcomes, LEO and the National Student Survey. Apprenticeships: IfATE-published standards, approved only.

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