---

Fallers in Montana

Considering working as a Fallers in Montana? Below are the key facts. Use axes or chainsaws to fell trees using knowledge of tree characteristics and cutting techniques to control direction of fall and minimize tree damage.

What do Fallers Make in Montana?

For a fallers working in Montana, the median annual wage is $55,890 per year (or roughly $26.87/hour).Pay can range from $55,890 at the 10th percentile to $63,860 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$55,890	$26.87
25th percentile	$55,890	$26.87
Median (50th)	$55,890	$26.87
75th percentile	$60,370	$29.02
90th percentile	$63,860	$30.70

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Montana relative to the national average — is 3.48, meaning that fallers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, fallers earn a median of $29,983 per year ($14.42/hour), exceeding the Montana median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 47,788 fallers nationwide. In Montana alone, around 50 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 150 fallers.

Top States for Fallers Employment

The table below shows the states where the most fallers work.

State	Number Employed
Michigan	490
Virginia	340
Georgia	320
Oregon	270
North Carolina	270
California	260
Mississippi	250
Washington	150
Tennessee	150
Arkansas	140
Pennsylvania	70
Indiana	50
Montana	50
Alabama	50
South Carolina	50
New Hampshire	40
Colorado	30

Highest-Paying States for Fallers

Where fallers earn the most: fallers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Oregon	$84,770
Washington	$76,220
Idaho	$73,700
Arkansas	$64,170
California	$62,020
Indiana	$61,140
South Carolina	$60,050
Maryland	$58,570
Minnesota	$58,260
Alabama	$57,090

Skills

Key fallers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for fallers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
• Appraise trees for certain characteristics, such as twist, rot, and heavy limb growth, and gauge amount and direction of lean, to determine how to control the direction of a tree's fall with the least damage.
• Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
• Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
• Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
• Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
• Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
• Control the direction of a tree's fall by scoring cutting lines with axes, sawing undercuts along scored lines with chainsaws, knocking slabs from cuts with single-bit axes, and driving wedges.
• Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.
• Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.
• Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.
• Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.

Work Activities

• Performing General Physical Activities
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Getting Information
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Other careers like fallers include:

• Foresters
• Forest and Conservation Technicians
• Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
• Agricultural Equipment Operators

Also Known As

All-Round Logger, Arborist, Arborist Assistant, Arborist Climber, Arborist Representative, Axman, Certified Arborist, Chain Saw Operator, Climbing Arborist, Cross Cut Sawyer, Cutter Operator, Hewer, High Climber, Logger, Lumberjack.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 45-4021.00