All About Logging Equipment Operators
Logging Equipment Operator Job 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?
- 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.
- Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.
- Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.
- Drive tractors for the purpose of building or repairing logging and skid roads.
- Calculate total board feet, cordage, or other wood measurement units, using conversion tables.
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What Every Logging Equipment Operator Should Know
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.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Yarder Operator
- Loader Operator
- Hook Tender
- Equipment Operator
- Skidder Driver
What Kind of Logging Equipment Operator Job Opportunities Are There?
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.
How Much Does a Logging Equipment Operator Make?
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
What kind of Logging Equipment Operator requirements are there?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Logging Equipment Operator?

Who Employs Logging Equipment Operators?

Below are examples of industries where Logging Equipment Operators work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Logging Equipment Operator in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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