CFChooseField
Agriculture and Natural Resources

Logging Equipment Operators

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.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Logging Equipment Operators
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Median pay

$49,210
Median annual pay for Logging Equipment Operators.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

-1.4%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

4,200
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

30,900
Estimated U.S. employment for Logging Equipment Operators in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

-400
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

High school diploma or equivalent
Typical additional preparation: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

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Essential skills

  1. 1Active Listening
  2. 2Monitoring
  3. 3Critical Thinking
  4. 4Speaking
  5. 5Writing
  6. 6Reading Comprehension

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Mechanical
  2. 2Public Safety and Security
  3. 3Production and Processing
  4. 4Transportation
  5. 5Administration and Management
  6. 6Customer and Personal Service

Abilities

  1. 1Control Precision
  2. 2Reaction Time
  3. 3Arm-Hand Steadiness
  4. 4Multilimb Coordination
  5. 5Depth Perception
  6. 6Far Vision

Career interests

  1. 1Realistic
  2. 2Conventional
  3. 3Investigative
  4. 4Social
  5. 5Enterprising
  6. 6Artistic

Work styles

  1. 1Dependability
  2. 2Cautiousness
  3. 3Stress Tolerance
  4. 4Attention to Detail
  5. 5Perseverance
  6. 6Integrity

Work activities

  1. 1Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
  2. 2Controlling Machines and Processes
  3. 3Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
  4. 4Getting Information
  5. 5Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
  6. 6Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Work context

  1. 1Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
  2. 2In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
  3. 3Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  4. 4Frequency of Decision Making
  5. 5Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
  6. 6Health and Safety of Other Workers

Representative tasks

  • 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.

Software and tools

Microsoft Excel · hot technologyMicrosoft Office software · hot technologyMicrosoft Outlook · hot technologyMicrosoft Word · hot technologySAP software · hot technologyBCS Woodlands Systems The Logger TrackerTradeTec TallyWorks LogsTradeTec TallyWorks TimeTracker

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

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