What is a Logging Equipment Operator?
Career 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
- 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.
- Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.
- 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.
- Calculate total board feet, cordage, or other wood measurement units, using conversion tables.
- 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.
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Qualities of a Logging Equipment Operator
These are the skills Logging Equipment Operators say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Other Logging Equipment Operator Job Titles
- Yarder Operator
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Operator
- Shift Stacker
- Log Hauler
- Tree Shear Operator
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. There will be an estimated 4,200 positions for Logging Equipment Operator per year.

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.
How Much Does a Logging Equipment Operator Make?
The average yearly salary of a Logging Equipment Operator ranges 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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Logging Equipment Operators
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Logging Equipment Operators:
Becoming a Logging Equipment Operator
What education or degrees do I need to become a Logging Equipment Operator?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Logging Equipment Operators Work

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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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