What Do Logging Equipment Operator Do?
Position Description Drive logging tractor or wheeled vehicle equipped with one or more accessories such as bulldozer blade, frontal shear, grapple, logging arch, cable winches, hoisting rack, or crane boom, to fell tree; to skid, load, unload, or stack logs; or to pull stumps or clear brush.
Life As a Logging Equipment Operator: What Do They Do?
- Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
- Drive crawler or wheeled tractors to drag or transport logs from felling sites to log landing areas for processing and loading.
- Fill out required job or shift report forms.
- Drive and maneuver tractors and tree harvesters to shear the tops off of trees, cut and limb the trees, and cut the logs into desired lengths.
- Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.
- Drive straight or articulated tractors equipped with accessories such as bulldozer blades, grapples, logging arches, cable winches, and crane booms, to skid, load, unload, or stack logs, pull stumps, or clear brush.
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What Every Logging Equipment Operator Should Know
When polled, Logging Equipment Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Types of Logging Equipment Operator
- Loader Operator
- Log Carrier Operator
- Tree-Shear Operator
- Log Processor Operator
- Shift Stacker
Logging Equipment Operator Job Outlook
There were about 39,100 jobs for Logging Equipment Operator in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Logging Equipment Operator. The BLS estimates 4,200 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Logging Equipment Operator are Oregon, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Georgia, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Logging Equipment Operator
The typical yearly salary for Logging Equipment Operators is somewhere between $25,750 and $60,320.

Logging Equipment Operators who work in Idaho, Washington, or California, make the highest salaries.
How much do Logging Equipment Operators make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $38,520 |
Arizona | $47,230 |
Arkansas | $41,870 |
California | $51,520 |
Colorado | $39,480 |
Florida | $38,560 |
Georgia | $38,020 |
Idaho | $55,520 |
Indiana | $34,650 |
Kentucky | $31,090 |
Louisiana | $43,010 |
Maine | $36,840 |
Maryland | $42,500 |
Michigan | $35,880 |
Minnesota | $42,740 |
Mississippi | $38,430 |
Missouri | $34,080 |
Montana | $43,260 |
New Hampshire | $40,910 |
New York | $40,470 |
North Carolina | $45,090 |
Ohio | $33,460 |
Oklahoma | $46,560 |
Oregon | $46,910 |
Pennsylvania | $38,730 |
South Carolina | $40,600 |
South Dakota | $40,530 |
Tennessee | $35,200 |
Texas | $42,190 |
Vermont | $41,250 |
Virginia | $43,150 |
Washington | $51,060 |
West Virginia | $33,720 |
Wisconsin | $37,880 |
Wyoming | $43,730 |
What Tools do Logging Equipment Operators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Logging Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:
How to Become a Logging Equipment Operator
Are there Logging Equipment Operators education requirements?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Logging Equipment Operators?

Logging Equipment Operators work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Career changers with experience as a Logging Equipment Operator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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