Federal Forestry Technician — GS-0462. The verified average salary for GS-0462 Forestry Technicians is $66,996/year (OPM FedScope, 2026). Data from 10,348 non-redacted OPM records (April 2026).
The GS-0462 Forestry Technician series showed 10,348 non-redacted federal employees in the April 2026 OPM snapshot. The verified average salary is $66,996/year (OPM FedScope, 2026). Use our GS Pay Calculator for your exact salary by grade, step, and location.
Salary = base pay + locality pay; excludes benefits. REDACTED records (OPM data release policy) are excluded from averages. Pay plan: General Schedule (GS). View occupation salary detail on OPM FedScope →
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| Metric | Value | Source & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Series Salary | $66,996 | OPM EHRI Snapshot (April 2026). 10,348 non-redacted records. Base + locality pay; excludes benefits. |
| Non-redacted records (sample size) | 10,348 | OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot, April 2026. REDACTED records excluded per OPM data release policy. |
| Redaction rate | 0.6% | OPM redacts salary records for privacy-sensitive positions (DoD, law enforcement, intelligence). FedTools suppresses series averages when redaction exceeds 20%. |
| Pay plan(s) | General Schedule (GS) | Primary pay plan(s) used for this occupational series in the federal government. |
| Typical grades | GS-3 to GS-9 | Most common grade range for this series. Actual assignment depends on the position description and agency. |
| Locality pay | 17.06% – 44.15% | Varies by duty station across 58 OPM pay areas. Rate × base pay = locality supplement. Included in the average salary above. |
| Pay cap (2026) | $197,200 | Executive Schedule Level IV. Applies to GS employees whose locality-adjusted salary would exceed this amount. Title 38 and special pay plans may exceed this cap. |
Based on OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot (April 2026). Actual grade, step, and locality assignment varies by position and location.
Representative duties for the 0462 occupational series based on OPM classification standards. Specific responsibilities vary by position and agency.
Forestry Technicians support professional foresters across the USDA Forest Service — which manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands — and Interior land-management bureaus. The series spans entry-level seasonal work (GS-3 to GS-5) through skilled technical positions (GS-7 to GS-9). Many positions are seasonal; the $66,996 average reflects permanent and temporary full-time employees in the April 2026 snapshot. The 0.6% redaction rate makes this one of the most transparent large-headcount series in the federal workforce.
Your actual pay depends on your GS grade, step, and duty station locality. Use our free calculator for an instant, accurate result.
annualized_adjusted_basic_pay field captures base pay + locality pay under all pay plans (GS, Title 38, special rates). REDACTED records are excluded per OPM data release policy. FedTools publishes series-specific averages only when the non-redacted sample is representative (redaction ≤ 20%, n ≥ 50). This page does not constitute financial or career advice. Always verify current pay rates with your agency HR office and OPM.gov.