How to become a forest manager
Official title: Forest manager
Also called: Forester, Forestry operations supervisor, Technical forester, Forest planner, Silviculturist
Forest managers plan, maintain and protect forests and forest resources for public and commercial use. They oversee tree planting projects, conserving wildlife habitats and timber harvesting.
Main tasks
- Maintain forests
- Inspect environments
- Measure trees, soil and water
- Manage forestry work
- Create plans to manage resources
- Lead projects and programmes
- Make sure environmental law is followed
- Plan environmental research
How to become one
You need a qualification and experience to become a forest manager. You need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a New Zealand Diploma in Forest Management (Level 6) OR a bachelor's degree in forestry; experience in similar work in New Zealand or overseas; knowledge of the Resource Management Act and Health and Safety at Work Act; a driver licence.
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in forestry. TEC links this job to study in forestry studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Forest Management. Usually 2 years.
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $81,000 to $135,000 a year (median $104,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $58,000 a year · Upper: $190,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 770 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Viticulturist
- Grounds maintenance supervisor
- Gardener and groundskeeper
- Pesticide handler
- Forestry equipment operator
- Log scaler and quality controller
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Questions people ask
How do I become a forest manager?
You need a qualification and experience to become a forest manager. You need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a New Zealand Diploma in Forest Management (Level 6) OR a bachelor's degree in forestry; experience in similar work in New Zealand or overseas; knowledge of the Resource Management Act and Health and Safety at Work Act; a driver licence.
How much does a forest manager earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $104,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $81,000 to $135,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a forest manager grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026