Forest Department Recruitment 2025-2026

Reviewed by the OnJob Editorial Team — career researchers covering jobs, salaries and hiring across India. Questions? editorial@onjob.io

In short: Forest department recruitment happens state by state, not through a single national body — Odisha, Assam, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal each run their own forest guard and forester recruitments, while UPSC conducts the all-India Indian Forest Service examination. Entry posts need a 10th or 12th pass, ranger posts need a degree, and every recruitment includes a long-distance walking test and a medical examination.

Which recruitments are open, and where?

Eight recruitments across the country are worth tracking, each with its own portal, its own application window and its own post count. The larger state intakes — Assam’s 3,228 posts and Odisha’s combined examinations — are where most of the entry-level opportunity sits.

Recruitment	Official Apply / Notification Link	State / Organization	Application Dates	Posts / Vacancies
UPSC Indian Forest Service (IFS) 2026	https://upsc.gov.in/ (Official UPSC apply portal)	UPSC (All India)	04–24 Feb 2026	~80+ IFS posts (via IFS exam)
Odisha Forest Guard & Forester 2026 (OSSSC)	https://osssc.gov.in/ (OSSSC official site)	Odisha Sub Ordinate Staff Selection Commission	07 Jan–22 Feb 2026 (Extended)	896–943 Vacancies
Assam Forest Guard & Forester (SLPRB)	https://slprbassam.in/ (Assam Police/Forest official portal)	SLPRB Assam	22 Jan–22 Feb 2026	~3,228 total posts (incl. Forest Guard)
Tamil Nadu Forest Department Recruitment 2026	https://forests.tn.gov.in/ (Official TN Forest Dept)	TN Forest Dept	Notification period varies	Various Forest jobs (Guard / Watcher / other posts)
Kerala PSC Beat Forest Officer 2025	https://www.keralapsc.gov.in/ (PSC official)	Kerala Public Service Commission	Active list published	~13 Beat Forest Officer
Rajasthan Forest Guard Vacancy 2026	https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/ (Rajasthan PSC site)	Govt of Rajasthan (RPSC / Forest Dept)	2026 (Notification out)	~785 Vanpal / Forest Guard
West Bengal Forest Department Jobs 2026	https://www.jobs.bd.gov.in/ (WB Govt jobs portal)	West Bengal Forest	Varies by post	Multiple posts (Guard / Ranger etc.)
Odisha CRE II 2026 Forester & Forest Guard through OSSSC	https://osssc.gov.in/ (OSSSC official)	OSSSC Odisha	Application closed recently	~1,518 posts (CRE II combined exam)

The all-India service is applied for through the UPSC portal; every state recruitment above is applied for on that state’s own site.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility combines four things that are checked separately: age, educational qualification, physical standards and a regional language requirement. The physical test is unusually demanding for a civil post — a 25 km walk for men and 14 km for women — and it eliminates candidates who clear the written paper comfortably.

Criteria	Requirement
Nationality	Indian citizen
Age Limit	18–27/32 years (post-wise variation)
Age Relaxation	SC/ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years
Educational Qualification	10th/12th pass (Forest Guard), Graduate (Range Officer)
Physical Standards	Height & chest measurement as per norms
Physical Test	25 km walk (Male), 14 km walk (Female)
Medical Fitness	Must be physically and mentally fit
Language Requirement	Knowledge of regional language

Closing dates differ from state to state and several are extended once, so the date to trust is the one on the state’s own notification page.

What is the salary?

Pay rises steeply with rank, which is what makes the graduate-entry ranger route worth the extra preparation. A forest guard’s monthly pay starts near ₹21,700, a forester earns substantially more, and a range officer sits on a pay band running to ₹1,42,400.

Post	Approx Monthly Salary
Forest Guard	₹21,700–₹40,000
Forester	₹35,000–₹75,000
Forest Ranger	₹44,900–₹1,42,400
Forest Officer	₹50,000+

Why do candidates choose forest department jobs?

The appeal is a mix that few government posts offer together: permanent service with pension, a field-based working life instead of a desk, and a role with genuine standing in the districts where forest staff are posted. The trade-off is physical demand and postings in remote areas.

• Government job security

• Attractive salary progression

• Outdoor working environment

• Pension benefits

• Respectable career

Frequently asked questions

When does the 2026 recruitment cycle start?

Several state recruitments are already open with windows running through February 2026, and the UPSC Indian Forest Service application window ran from 4 to 24 February 2026. Other states notify at different points through the year.

What is the forest guard salary in Odisha?

Odisha quotes forest guard pay across a range of ₹21,700 to ₹69,100 per month over the applicable pay level, with the lower figure being the entry point rather than the typical salary.

What does a forester earn monthly?

Generally between ₹35,000 and ₹75,000 a month, depending on the state’s pay matrix and years of service.

What is the forest ranger salary?

A range officer’s pay starts around ₹44,900 and rises to ₹1,42,400 across the pay level, which is why the graduate-entry route is competitive.

Are there forest jobs after 12th?

Yes. Forest guard and equivalent entry-level posts accept a 10th or 12th pass, and these make up the large majority of the vacancies advertised each year.

How do you check the last date to apply?

Check the state forest department or recruiting commission website directly. Deadlines in this sector are extended relatively often, and aggregator sites frequently carry the superseded date.

What should you do next?

The walking test is the part that decides most of these recruitments, and it cannot be prepared for in a fortnight — start distance training now if you intend to apply. On paper, identify which state you are eligible in, check the regional language requirement, and watch that state’s own portal rather than a national aggregator.

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