YOUR CAREER AS A
FIELD TECHNICIAN
Some foresters are lured to the varied role of a field technician in a research organisation instead of employment with a forestry company. Some of the skills and techniques field technicians do are similar to foresters.
The work can be varied and interesting, and at times strenuous, but you can be guaranteed to see many fascinating places and spend a lot of time travelling and working in forests. If you enjoy physical work and have a natural curiosity as well as a good attention to detail and a practical attitude to following instructions, this could be the job for you.
Field technicians may:
- install specialist climate monitoring equipment
- map experimental or real-life forest fires
- assist a UAV operator to take samples or treat trees
- spray pesticides
- measure Permanent Sample Plots
- take tree growth measurements
- extract cores from tree trunks
- extract soil cores
- chainsaw down trees
- climb trees to sample cones and collect seed
- lay out field plots for experiments
- install markers
- take GPS measurements
- collect insects
- collect plant disease samples
- collect soil or water to return to the laboratory
- plant trees for experimental plots.
SNAPSHOT INFO
Earning Potential
$40,000 – $80,000
Qualification Required
A DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE IN HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY OR A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Physically Demanding
FIELDWORK CAN BE QUITE STRENUOUS
Absence from home
OFTEN INVOLVES TRAVEL
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
Field technicians may have a Diploma or Certificate in Horticulture, Forestry or a Bachelor of Science. Most importantly they will have undertaken specialist training to ensure the safe operating of the equipment being used on the job, such as chainsaws, heavy machinery, UAV’s or the like.
SIMILAR JOBS
CAREER PROGRESSION
Junior technicians can progress through the ranks to more senior levels. Some technicians become extremely specialist, and contribute to academic papers and other research outputs.