Fallers
Median $52,100
Occupation · SOC 45-4022
Logging Equipment Operators: pay and where the jobs are
What logging equipment operators earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$49,740 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $53,190
- Median hourly wage
- $23.91
- Mean hourly wage
- $25.57
- Employment
- 21,060
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-4022.
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How much do logging equipment operators make?
The median annual wage for logging equipment operators was $49,740 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,170 and the highest-paid 10% more than $74,300. As an hourly rate, the median is $23.91. About 21,060 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($75,140), Illinois ($71,100) and Texas ($62,890). Washington also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for logging equipment operators looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,170 | $16.91 | $2,931 | $2,537 |
| 25th percentile | $43,970 | $21.14 | $3,664 | $3,126 |
| Median | $49,740 | $23.91 | $4,145 | $3,512 |
| 75th percentile | $61,050 | $29.35 | $5,088 | $4,269 |
| 90th percentile | $74,300 | $35.72 | $6,192 | $5,092 |
Logging Equipment Operators: pay by state
36 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$56,674 take-home in national prices
2
$55,740 take-home in national prices
3
$55,497 take-home in national prices
Where a median logging equipment operator paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,150 | $75,140 | $61,300 | $83,750 | $60,649 | $56,674 |
| Illinois | 40 | $71,100 | $39,990 | $92,490 | $55,474 | $55,497 |
| Texas | 500 | $62,890 | $32,280 | $72,770 | $52,712 | $54,310 |
| California | 950 | $61,940 | $50,370 | $126,510 | $49,388 | $44,606 |
| South Dakota | 50 | $58,740 | $45,170 | $59,330 | $49,378 | $55,740 |
| Oregon | 1,860 | $58,720 | $47,580 | $74,620 | $45,075 | $43,609 |
| Louisiana | 770 | $58,600 | $43,410 | $78,530 | $47,893 | $54,297 |
| Minnesota | 320 | $58,590 | $46,800 | $59,760 | $46,539 | $47,189 |
| Montana | 190 | $56,530 | $47,490 | $89,800 | $45,702 | $48,287 |
| Idaho | 560 | $56,490 | $42,660 | $77,550 | $45,684 | $47,840 |
| Vermont | 60 | $52,910 | $35,140 | $68,140 | $43,355 | $44,258 |
| New Hampshire | 170 | $51,540 | $29,060 | $72,370 | $43,592 | $41,849 |
| Ohio | 260 | $50,590 | $39,020 | $58,280 | $41,881 | $45,143 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $49,650 | $23,990 | $61,280 | $42,074 | $45,391 |
| Colorado | 70 | $49,620 | $42,170 | $87,930 | $40,356 | $39,161 |
| Mississippi | 1,220 | $49,620 | $35,550 | $60,150 | $40,797 | $46,918 |
| Florida | 770 | $49,370 | $37,440 | $62,760 | $41,849 | $40,467 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $48,960 | $48,040 | $74,010 | $39,066 | $36,940 |
| North Carolina | 990 | $48,420 | $37,800 | $78,010 | $39,662 | $42,048 |
| Arkansas | 1,280 | $48,280 | $28,990 | $65,000 | $39,674 | $45,636 |
| Alabama | 1,860 | $47,810 | $29,180 | $65,560 | $38,623 | $43,483 |
| South Carolina | 920 | $47,650 | $37,910 | $65,320 | $39,623 | $42,265 |
| Michigan | 860 | $47,610 | $38,320 | $62,190 | $38,662 | $40,182 |
| New York | 290 | $47,540 | $36,770 | $65,670 | $38,172 | $35,370 |
| Maryland | 60 | $47,530 | $31,200 | $67,800 | $38,479 | $36,661 |
| Pennsylvania | 360 | $46,880 | $31,050 | $60,500 | $38,376 | $39,331 |
| Wisconsin | 480 | $46,360 | $33,220 | $62,090 | $38,033 | $40,420 |
| Indiana | 150 | $46,320 | $36,360 | $58,110 | $38,061 | $40,782 |
| Tennessee | 400 | $46,310 | $30,460 | $61,310 | $39,390 | $42,876 |
| Virginia | 570 | $46,090 | $30,980 | $72,220 | $37,377 | $36,969 |
| Georgia | 1,620 | $45,080 | $33,560 | $74,520 | $36,901 | $38,321 |
| Maine | 830 | $44,780 | $39,250 | $58,870 | $36,558 | $37,669 |
| Missouri | 140 | $41,770 | $34,730 | $76,620 | $34,716 | $38,227 |
| Oklahoma | 130 | $37,270 | $31,460 | $57,880 | $30,995 | $35,284 |
| West Virginia | 310 | $36,130 | $29,270 | $63,590 | $30,289 | $33,844 |
| Kentucky | 300 | $30,230 | $20,800 | $51,460 | $25,529 | $28,316 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-4022. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.