Farming, Fishing & Forestry
Fallers
Also called: Bucker, Cutter Operator, Feller, Logger
US median pay
$52,100
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-9.9%
declining
Openings a year (US)
500
4,300 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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 they do day to day
- Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
- Control the direction of a tree's fall by scoring cutting lines with axes, sawing undercuts along scored lines with chainsaws, knocking slabs from cuts with single-bit axes, and driving wedges.
- Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
- Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.
- Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
- Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.
- Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
- Appraise trees for certain characteristics, such as twist, rot, and heavy limb growth, and gauge amount and direction of lean, to determine how to control the direction of a tree's fall with the least damage.
- Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
- Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
- Operation and Control3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Troubleshooting2.8/5
- Repairing2.8/5
- Equipment Maintenance2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.3/5
- Production and Processing3.0/5
- Public Safety and Security2.7/5
- Mathematics2.5/5
- English Language2.5/5
- Telecommunications2.2/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.