SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 45-4022.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $35,170 | $2,931 | $676 | $16.91 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $43,970 | $3,664 | $846 | $21.14 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $49,740 | $4,145 | $957 | $23.91 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $61,050 | $5,088 | $1,174 | $29.35 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $74,300 | $6,192 | $1,429 | $35.72 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Logging Equipment Operators is $49,740, which is 2% lower. Among the 13 occupations of the field Farming, Fishing, and Forestry, it ranks number 6 by median pay. With 21,060 jobs, it makes up about 1.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Logging Equipment Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($75,140), Illinois ($71,100) and Texas ($62,890). The lowest was in Kentucky ($30,230), West Virginia ($36,130) and Oklahoma ($37,270). The most jobs were in Alabama (1,860), Oregon (1,860) and Georgia (1,620). The occupation is most concentrated in Maine, where its share of all jobs is 9.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,150 | $75,140 | $73,980 | $36.12 |
| Illinois | 40 | $71,100 | $62,930 | $34.19 |
| Texas | 500 | $62,890 | $56,190 | $30.24 |
| California | 950 | $61,940 | $74,210 | $29.78 |
| South Dakota | 50 | $58,740 | $55,770 | $28.24 |
| Oregon | 1,860 | $58,720 | $59,670 | $28.23 |
| Louisiana | 770 | $58,600 | $57,400 | $28.17 |
| Minnesota | 320 | $58,590 | $54,110 | $28.17 |
| Montana | 190 | $56,530 | $59,620 | $27.18 |
| Idaho | 560 | $56,490 | $59,610 | $27.16 |
| Vermont | 60 | $52,910 | $53,020 | $25.44 |
| New Hampshire | 170 | $51,540 | $52,560 | $24.78 |
| Ohio | 260 | $50,590 | $49,400 | $24.32 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $49,650 | $44,400 | $23.87 |
| Colorado | 70 | $49,620 | $56,440 | $23.86 |
| Mississippi | 1,220 | $49,620 | $47,520 | $23.86 |
| Florida | 770 | $49,370 | $49,960 | $23.74 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $48,960 | $52,170 | $23.54 |
| North Carolina | 990 | $48,420 | $52,040 | $23.28 |
| Arkansas | 1,280 | $48,280 | $48,830 | $23.21 |
| Alabama | 1,860 | $47,810 | $48,550 | $22.99 |
| South Carolina | 920 | $47,650 | $49,980 | $22.91 |
| Michigan | 860 | $47,610 | $50,510 | $22.89 |
| New York | 290 | $47,540 | $50,460 | $22.86 |
| Maryland | 60 | $47,530 | $51,400 | $22.85 |
| Pennsylvania | 360 | $46,880 | $47,000 | $22.54 |
| Wisconsin | 480 | $46,360 | $47,520 | $22.29 |
| Indiana | 150 | $46,320 | $46,350 | $22.27 |
| Tennessee | 400 | $46,310 | $45,240 | $22.26 |
| Virginia | 570 | $46,090 | $46,840 | $22.16 |
| Georgia | 1,620 | $45,080 | $49,850 | $21.67 |
| Maine | 830 | $44,780 | $48,200 | $21.53 |
| Missouri | 140 | $41,770 | $47,540 | $20.08 |
| Oklahoma | 130 | $37,270 | $43,540 | $17.92 |
| West Virginia | 310 | $36,130 | $42,510 | $17.37 |
| Kentucky | 300 | $30,230 | $37,120 | $14.53 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Animal Breeders$51,130 a year
- Logging Workers, All Other$50,840 a year
- Agricultural Inspectors$49,940 a year
- Log Graders and Scalers$46,330 a year
- Forest and Conservation Workers$43,680 a year
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$41,730 a year
Common questions
How much do Logging Equipment Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $49,740 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,170 and the highest-paid 10% more than $74,300.
How many people work as Logging Equipment Operators?
About 21,060 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.