Forest Ranger Technician III - CDL pay range
Commonwealth of Kentucky · class code 21004254
- Class code
- 21004254
- Pay grade
- 14
- Pay unit
- Month
- Alternate ranges
- 3
- State
- Kentucky
- The Commonwealth of Kentucky published pay range for Forest Ranger Technician III - CDL is $3,673 to $5,877 per month, spanning every alternate range the plan defines.
- Kentucky publishes an entry rate and a midpoint for each pay grade, not a maximum, so the upper figure on this page is the grade midpoint.
- That works out to about $44,074 to $70,518 a year at full time.
- Kentucky Personnel Cabinet keys this classification as class code 21004254.
- The plan defines 3 alternate ranges for this class, so the rate depends on which criteria an employee meets.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Alternate ranges
| Range | Entry | Midpoint | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range 37.5-hour week | $3,673 | $5,509 | per month |
| Range 40-hour week | $3,918 | $5,877 | per month |
| Range Hourly | $22.60 | $33.90 | per hour |
Which alternate range applies is set by the plan's own criteria (experience, certification or assignment). The criteria text lives in the source document.
Class specification
The Personnel Cabinet class specification for this class is published by Kentucky Personnel Cabinet. The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications. It was last revised 10/16/2025.
What the state says the job is
Provides expertise in performing advanced forest protection, forest management, forest fire prevention, pre- suppression, suppression, prescribed fire, and law enforcement activities, such as training fire departments and agencies in fire suppression; and enforcing regulations on commercial timber harvest operations. Deploys and supervises fire suppression crews. Assists with all-risk emergency response activities. Transports heavy equipment to in-state or out-of-state locations; and performs other duties as required.
Examples of the work
Transports heavy equipment to in-state or out-of-state wildlife/all-risk emergency response locations. Transports heavy equipment to non-emergency related locations. Serves as expert in the protection of forests. Trains fire departments, agencies, and organizations in wild land fire suppression. Recommends and implements practices for the protection and enhancements of forests. Independently, enforces the provisions of the Kentucky Forest Conservation Act as it pertains to commercial timber harvesting operations.
Minimum qualifications
EDUCATION: Graduate of a college or university with an associate's degree in a natural, biological, social, or physical sciences. EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, OR SKILLS: Must have four years of forest management or forest protection experience. Substitute EDUCATION for EXPERIENCE: A bachelor's degree in a natural, biological, social, or physical sciences supplemented by two years of forest management or forest protection experience will substitute for the associate's degree and the four years of forest management or forest protection experience.
Special requirements
Must be at least 21 years of age. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license to qualify for employment in this job classification. Upon employment, must furnish to the agency's appointing authority title documentation that he or she possesses a valid commercial driver's license or a valid co ...
Quoted from the Personnel Cabinet class specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Kentucky Personnel Cabinet publishes this figure in Classified and Unclassified 37.5 and 40-Hour Salary Schedule, effective September 16, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
Job titles and their pay grades come from the Job Specification Search, joined to the salary schedule.