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Log Graders and Scalers: Career Overview
Grade logs or estimate the marketable content or value of logs or pulpwood in sorting yards, millpond, log deck, or similar locations. Inspect logs for defects or measure logs to determine volume.
What Tasks Do Log Graders and Scalers Perform?
The core tasks performed by log graders and scalers include:
- Evaluate log characteristics and determine grades, using established criteria.
- Record data about individual trees or load volumes into tally books or hand-held collection terminals.
- Measure felled logs or loads of pulpwood to calculate volume, weight, dimensions, and marketable value, using measuring devices and conversion tables.
- Paint identification marks of specified colors on logs to identify grades or species, using spray cans, or call out grades to log markers.
- Jab logs with metal ends of scale sticks, and inspect logs to ascertain characteristics or defects such as water damage, splits, knots, broken ends, rotten areas, twists, and curves.
- Identify logs of substandard or special grade so that they can be returned to shippers, regraded, recut, or transferred for other processing.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top log graders and scalers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Check Scaler
- Compounding Scaler
- Deck Scaler
- Deck Specialist
- Decker
- Deckman
- Landing Scaler
- Log Buyer
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 19,825 log graders and scalers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +4.2% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Log Graders and Scalers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $29,938 |
| Hourly median | $14.39 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $24,774 |
| 75th percentile | $35,102 |
| 90th percentile | $40,266 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $62,860 |
| Idaho | $62,000 |
| Washington | $59,670 |
| California | $56,570 |
| Maine | $51,650 |
| Michigan | $50,620 |
| Wisconsin | $50,040 |
| South Carolina | $49,990 |
| West Virginia | $47,570 |
| Kentucky | $47,160 |
| Louisiana | $47,140 |
| North Carolina | $46,870 |
| Indiana | $46,300 |
| Alabama | $44,800 |
| Mississippi | $43,970 |
| Ohio | $43,680 |
| Georgia | $43,510 |
| New York | $42,850 |
| Arkansas | $42,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,900 |
| Florida | $38,710 |
| Virginia | $34,720 |
| Tennessee | $29,120 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for log graders and scalers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountains | $62,000 | 2.3% | 3.66 |
| Far Western US | $58,748 | 25.6% | 2.16 |
| New England | $51,650 | 2.6% | 6.00 |
| Great Lakes | $47,731 | 11.7% | 1.23 |
| Southeast | $44,512 | 45.8% | 5.01 |
| Middle Atlantic | $39,220 | 12.0% | 2.44 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $61,240 | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | AL | $46,540 | 40 |
Top Industries Employing Log Graders and Scalers
The largest employers of log graders and scalers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,800 | $45,130 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 240 | $61,920 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 120 | $53,900 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 60 | $60,070 |
| Wholesale Trade | 30 | $42,500 |
Below are examples of industries where log graders and scalers work:
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of log graders and scalers reflects the following characteristics:
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Log Graders and Scalers
Typical log graders and scalers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks (Primary-Long)
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (Supplemental)
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping (Primary-Short)
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products (Primary-Short)
- Fallers (Supplemental)
- Logging Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 45-4023.00 (Log Graders and Scalers).
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