Forestry.
There’s a range of opportunities whether you’re just setting out on your career or looking at a career change with great potential.
Opportunities in forestry
The forestry industry is a major contributor to both New Zealand's economy and the environment.
Whether you're interested in growing plants and trees, outdoor and physical work, conservation and the environment, working with tools and machinery, or managing forest staff, contractors, and budgets – then forestry could be for you.
“ It's a hard job, but it's very rewarding and fulfilling. You'll have days where you may fail or make a mistake, but if you take the lesson and learn from it, it's a rewarding opportunity. ”
Types of jobs in forestry
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Forestry engineer
Salary: $60,000-$120,000+ per year*
Forestry engineer roles are a mix of engineering, forestry, and management.
Responsibilities include:
- surveying
- designing roads and forest infrastructure
- selecting and installing harvesting equipment
- environmental planning
- supervising staff and contractors
- working with other key forestry roles.
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Forest manager
Salary: $55,000-$150,000 per year*
A forest manager’s role is broad – from planning and leading new developments, to operations management.
Responsibilities include:
- caring for and monitoring the growth and health of the forest
- supervising staff
- financial and business management
- negotiating sales
- managing health and safety
- forest security and fire prevention
- overseeing harvesting.
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Manual tree feller
Tree fellers are responsible for felling mature trees by selecting and felling them with a chainsaw in a safe and careful way.
This is a job for you if you enjoy physical work, being in the bush, and teamwork.
For more on the roles and training opportunities in forestry, visit Forestry Careers NZ
Training and learning opportunities
Most jobs in forestry require some form of training which could be on the job or before you enter the industry.
Transferable skills to the forestry industry include management, engineering, environmental management, science and research, machine operation, data analysis, finance, and administration.
From 1 July 2020, some training options are free under the Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund.
