What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for National Forest Ranger?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where National Forest Ranger jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS (34.2% above average), followed by Whitehorse, YT and Carcross, YT. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Kentville, NS $60,848 $5,070 $1,170 $29.25 Whitehorse, YT $60,461 $5,038 $1,162 $29.07 Carcross, YT $60,426 $5,035 $1,162 $29.05 Haines Junction, YT $60,219 $5,018 $1,158 $28.95 North Cowichan, BC $60,042 $5,003 $1,154 $28.87 Duncan, BC $59,811 $4,984 $1,150 $28.76 Oak Bay, BC $59,702 $4,975 $1,148 $28.70 Alberton, PE $58,894 $4,907 $1,132 $28.31 Courtenay, BC $58,736 $4,894 $1,129 $28.24 Kelowna, BC $58,228 $4,852 $1,119 $27.99

National Forest Ranger

National Forest Ranger Salary

Q: How much does a National Forest Ranger make?

The average annual pay for a national forest ranger in the United States is $45,344 a year — that works out to approximately $21.80 an hour. The middle 80% of National Forest Rangers earn between $29,500 (10th percentile) and $60,500 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 2 Best Paying Related National Forest Ranger Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to National Forest Ranger in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is System Protection Technician at $11,842 (26.1%) above National Forest Ranger. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage System Protection Technician $57,186 $4,765 $1,099 $27.49 Administrative Technician $49,287 $4,107 $947 $23.70

$11K

$46.5K

$64.5K

$45,344

/year

$21.80

/hour

National Forest Ranger Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$45,344

Columbus

Ohio

$43,798

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How much does a National Forest Ranger make?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average annual pay for a National Forest Ranger in the United States is $45,344 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.80 an hour. This is the equivalent of $872/week or $3,778/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $64,500 and as low as $11,000, the majority of National Forest Ranger salaries currently range between $38,000 (25th percentile) to $54,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $60,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a National Forest Ranger varies greatly (by as much as 16000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A National Forest Ranger in your area makes on average $43,798 per year, or $1,546 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $45,344. Ohio ranks number 39 out of 50 states nationwide for National Forest Ranger salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for National Forest Ranger jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a National Forest Ranger on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for National Forest Ranger Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a National Forest Ranger job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Whitehorse, YT, and Carcross, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Carcross, YT, beats the national average by $15,082 (33.3%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $15,504 (34.2%) above the $45,344 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a National Forest Ranger appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Kentville, NS, and Kelowna, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a National Forest Ranger role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Kentville, NS	$60,848	$5,070	$1,170	$29.25
Whitehorse, YT	$60,461	$5,038	$1,162	$29.07
Carcross, YT	$60,426	$5,035	$1,162	$29.05
Haines Junction, YT	$60,219	$5,018	$1,158	$28.95
North Cowichan, BC	$60,042	$5,003	$1,154	$28.87
Duncan, BC	$59,811	$4,984	$1,150	$28.76
Oak Bay, BC	$59,702	$4,975	$1,148	$28.70
Alberton, PE	$58,894	$4,907	$1,132	$28.31
Courtenay, BC	$58,736	$4,894	$1,129	$28.24
Kelowna, BC	$58,228	$4,852	$1,119	$27.99

What are Top 2 Best Paying Related National Forest Ranger Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the National Forest Ranger category.

For example System Protection Technician jobs pay as much as $11,842 (26.1%) more than the average National Forest Ranger salary of $45,344. If you're qualified, finding work as a System Protection Technician may help you make more money than that of the average National Forest Ranger position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
System Protection Technician	$57,186	$4,765	$1,099	$27.49
Administrative Technician	$49,287	$4,107	$947	$23.70

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing National Forest Ranger salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $45,344 per year or $21.80 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries National Forest Ranger Salary