Logging Equipment Operators
Median $49,740
Occupation · SOC 45-4021
Fallers: pay and where the jobs are
What fallers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$52,100 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $57,110
- Median hourly wage
- $25.05
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.46
- Employment
- 3,130
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-4021.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among fallers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do fallers make?
The median annual wage for fallers was $52,100 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,180 and the highest-paid 10% more than $82,360. As an hourly rate, the median is $25.05. About 3,130 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Oregon ($84,490), Idaho ($78,330) and Washington ($77,340). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in South Carolina.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for fallers 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 | $35,180 | $16.91 | $2,932 | $2,537 |
| 25th percentile | $41,360 | $19.89 | $3,447 | $2,951 |
| Median | $52,100 | $25.05 | $4,342 | $3,670 |
| 75th percentile | $63,390 | $30.48 | $5,283 | $4,426 |
| 90th percentile | $82,360 | $39.60 | $6,863 | $5,564 |
Fallers: pay by state
18 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
$63,782 take-home in national prices
2
$63,765 take-home in national prices
3
$62,129 take-home in national prices
Where a median faller paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 180 | $84,490 | $47,800 | $135,250 | $61,971 | $59,956 |
| Idaho | 190 | $78,330 | $61,780 | $121,750 | $60,892 | $63,765 |
| Washington | Not published | $77,340 | $63,400 | $115,940 | $62,166 | $58,092 |
| South Carolina | 130 | $76,350 | $55,680 | $88,400 | $59,795 | $63,782 |
| Arkansas | Not published | $67,060 | $43,580 | $71,410 | $54,013 | $62,129 |
| Louisiana | 200 | $62,040 | $47,150 | $63,390 | $50,554 | $57,313 |
| California | 260 | $59,590 | $49,180 | $76,770 | $47,671 | $43,055 |
| Maryland | 60 | $58,300 | $47,530 | $66,780 | $46,621 | $44,418 |
| Mississippi | 140 | $54,110 | $41,360 | $84,020 | $44,225 | $50,861 |
| Michigan | 410 | $51,700 | $37,960 | $61,390 | $41,774 | $43,417 |
| Wisconsin | Not published | $50,010 | $50,010 | $98,910 | $40,786 | $43,345 |
| Virginia | 330 | $48,340 | $35,130 | $54,960 | $39,056 | $38,629 |
| Ohio | Not published | $47,700 | $40,670 | $59,350 | $39,639 | $42,726 |
| Tennessee | 80 | $47,560 | $35,140 | $77,310 | $40,394 | $43,969 |
| North Carolina | 200 | $46,080 | $29,500 | $63,460 | $37,875 | $40,154 |
| Georgia | 170 | $39,380 | $35,160 | $47,230 | $32,605 | $33,860 |
| New York | 120 | $36,190 | $32,240 | $72,020 | $29,714 | $27,533 |
| Indiana | 40 | $26,210 | $26,210 | $63,810 | $22,450 | $24,055 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-4021. *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.