$Who Earns What

How much does a tree faller make?

US Fallers

Answer: A typical tree faller in the United States makes $52,100 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$52,100

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 3,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$35,180
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$52,100
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$82,360
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

54 of 100
more than half

Tree faller pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Tree faller pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$35,180$52,100$82,360about 3,000

Why does pay differ?

In the U.S., experience, useful skills or certifications, and the employer and location can all affect a faller’s pay. Hours worked or different shifts can change total pay too.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$52,100
Oregon$84,490
Idaho$78,330
Washington$77,340
South Carolina$76,350
Arkansas$67,060
Georgia$39,380
New York$36,190
Indiana$26,210

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a tree faller do?

Use axes or chainsaws to fell trees using knowledge of tree characteristics and cutting techniques to control direction of fall and minimize tree damage.

What's a typical day like?

They clear an escape route, then use a chainsaw and wedges to guide a tree down. They may trim branches and cut the trunk into log lengths.

How to get this job

In the U.S., fallers usually have a high school diploma or GED, though some jobs accept less schooling. They learn forest safety and chainsaw skills on the job, with training lasting from a few days to a year.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

Many fallers use handheld chainsaws in terrain too rough for large logging machines.

Similar jobs

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Earn more in the same field

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry jobs that pay a bit more

Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY