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Logging Equipment Operators in Idaho
Want to work as a Logging Equipment Operators in Idaho? Below are the key facts. 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. Includes operating stand-alone logging machines, such as log chippers. Logging truck drivers are included in “Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers” (53-3032).
What do Logging Equipment Operators Make in Idaho?
For logging equipment operators working in Idaho, wages run about $58,200 per year (or roughly $27.98/hour).Earnings range from $47,860 at the 10th percentile to $78,000 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,860 | $23.01 |
| 25th percentile | $48,070 | $23.11 |
| Median (50th) | $58,200 | $27.98 |
| 75th percentile | $70,280 | $33.79 |
| 90th percentile | $78,000 | $37.50 |
Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Idaho relative to the national average — is 5.35, suggesting that logging equipment operators are more concentrated here than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, logging equipment operators earn a median of $36,164 per year ($17.39/hour), exceeding the Idaho median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 399,043 logging equipment operators in the U.S.. In Idaho alone, around 660 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 440 logging equipment operators.
Top Idaho Metros for Logging Equipment Operators
The largest metro-area employers of logging equipment operators in Idaho.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 70 | $51,970 |
| Boise City, ID | 40 | $51,700 |
Top States for Logging Equipment Operators Employment
These states have the highest employment of logging equipment operators work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,950 |
| Georgia | 1,810 |
| Oregon | 1,750 |
| North Carolina | 1,190 |
| Washington | 1,150 |
| Florida | 1,060 |
| Mississippi | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | 980 |
| Arkansas | 970 |
| California | 940 |
| Maine | 920 |
| Louisiana | 910 |
| Michigan | 790 |
| Virginia | 760 |
| Texas | 670 |
| Idaho | 660 |
| Tennessee | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | 440 |
| West Virginia | 420 |
| New York | 360 |
Highest-Paying States for Logging Equipment Operators
Where logging equipment operators earn the most: logging equipment operators.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $74,400 |
| California | $62,000 |
| Texas | $60,220 |
| Oregon | $58,940 |
| Alaska | $58,730 |
| South Dakota | $58,370 |
| Idaho | $58,200 |
| Louisiana | $56,780 |
| Vermont | $55,050 |
| Illinois | $52,580 |
Skills
Top logging equipment operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for logging equipment operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Day-to-day, logging equipment operators typically:
- Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
- 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 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.
- 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 tractors for building or repairing logging and skid roads.
- 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.
- Calculate total board feet, cordage, or other wood measurement units, using conversion tables.
Work Activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Getting Information
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Several college majors map to this occupation:
Related Careers
Related occupations to logging equipment operators include:
- Agricultural Equipment Operators
- Fallers
- Log Graders and Scalers
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Also Known As
Buncher Operator, Chain Hooker, Cutter Operator, Delimber, Delimber Operator, Equipment Operator, Feller Buncher Operator, Feller Operator, Forder Operator, Grapple Operator, Grapple Skidder Operator, Groundsperson, Harvester Operator, Hook Tender, Loader.
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: 45-4022.00
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