US Forest Service Employee Reviews about "pay"
66% would recommend to a friend
(241 total reviews)
Vicki Christiansen
63% approve of CEO
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Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
- "Great people and fun to meet the people camping and enjoying the national forest and national parks." (in 81 reviews)
- "Hostile Work Environment: The agency is extremely cliquey; it pays poorly and employees are under chronic stress due to ongoing poor management and budget turmoil." (in 25 reviews)
- "Upper management is crippled by political influences and those hired to make decisions are incapable of thinking like a business person." (in 10 reviews)
Ratings by Demographics
This rating reflects the overall rating of US Forest Service and is not affected by filters.
Found 241 of over 1K reviews
Updated Nov 28, 2023
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Reviews about "pay"
Return to all Reviews- 4.0Nov 6, 2015Forestry Technician (Fuels)Current Employee, less than 1 yearChallis, ID
Pros
I love working with the US Forest Service as I get to work outside everyday and I feel like I'm making a difference in our national forests.
Cons
Pay is very low and jobs are very competitive. There is also a lot of red tape at times which can make things difficult to get done.
- 5.0May 19, 2015Wildland Firefighter; Module LeaderFormer Employee, more than 3 yearsHouston, TX
Pros
You get to travel to different states when assigned to fires and you also get to see great views. You also get to meet great people.
Cons
The pay isnt great and you only get to do the job for about 6 to 8 months depending on how the season goes
- 2.0Mar 9, 2021Forestry TechnicianCurrent Employee, more than 10 yearsSalt Lake City, UT
Pros
Scenery, travel, benefits (The golden handcuffs)
Cons
Horrendous pay that is 75% lower than the prevailing wage in any given discipline. Archaic tech that is a decade behind private industry. Broke. The Forest Service is BROKE. Many people have titles that they are unqualified to hold. A massive bureaucracy that is set in it's ancient ways.
- 3.0Jan 9, 2021FirefighterCurrent EmployeeVentura, CA
Pros
Great work environment and job
Cons
Low pay and you only become a firefighter when you die
- 3.0Sep 9, 2022Forestry TechnicianCurrent Employee, less than 1 yearMissoula, MT
Pros
Rewarding work, flexible schedule, great benefits.
Cons
Pay is terrible and the HR is a mess.
- 5.0Feb 24, 2020Forestry TechnicianCurrent Employee, less than 1 yearLeavenworth, WA
Pros
Learned lots of skills (chainsaw, firefighting techniques, etc) good overtime and hazard pay bump spend lots of time outside, around helicopters and exciting wildland fire scenarios meaningful work
Cons
long hours hard work sometimes multiple weeks away from home
- 4.0Oct 26, 2023Forestry TechnicianFormer Employee
Pros
The work is very fulfilling. It makes you feel luke you are making a difference.
Cons
The pay isn't great and some of the higher level staff are less than helpful.
- 5.0Jan 4, 2022Anonymous InternCurrent Intern, more than 1 year
Pros
You will meet some of the nicest and caring people at this agency!
Cons
As a resource assistant in the RAP program you don’t receive the same pay and benefits as an employee.
- 5.0May 11, 2022Resource AssistantCurrent Contractor, less than 1 yearWashington, DC
Pros
The Forest Service is a very supportive place to work. The people you work with are understanding and accommodating. All of them are driven by public service and have a mutual understanding of and respect for one another.
Cons
The Forest Service is a massive organization and therefore is very bureaucratic. This can be frustrating when trying to get things done. It is also very hierarchical and there is not much flexibility in positions/roles/pay because everything is on the GS scale.
- 3.0Mar 24, 2016Forestry TechnicianCurrent Employee, more than 8 yearsChico, CA
Pros
Get to travel and have great experiences. Meet great people and learn a lot about yourself in tough situations. A learning experience
Cons
Away from home too much. The pay is not where it needs to be for what we do and for what we sacrifice.
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