Job title · Iowa

Forester in Iowa

Iowa Department of Administrative Services lists 2 job classes for this work in the Iowa state pay plan: Forester 2–3.

$56,992 – $98,634
state pay plan range, a year
2
classes in the state plan
$83,000
median pay in IA, all employers
50
workers in IA (SOC 19-1032)

Sources: Iowa Department of Administrative Services, Iowa FY 2027 Classification Plan and Pay Plans; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Iowa state pay plan Sourced

Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective June 19, 2026. These are the ranges Iowa sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.

Class and gradePublished rate
Forester 2
Class 05414 · class description
Grade 28 · 009 UE/IUP
$56,992 – $86,362 a year
Forester 3
Class 05417 · class description
Grade 30 · 000 Non-Contract
$63,586 – $98,634 a year

Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Source: Iowa Department of Administrative Services, Iowa FY 2027 Classification Plan and Pay Plans. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Pay in Iowa, all employers Sourced

Foresters (SOC 19-1032) in Iowa, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.

MeasureIA
Workers50
10th percentile$68,470
Median$83,000
90th percentile$104,720
National median, government employers$72,030

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

More about this job

Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Forester page.

Forester in other states