Logging Equipment Operators Salary
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations · 21K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$49,740
Median hourly
$24
Average annual
$53,190
Typical range
$35,170–$74,300
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Logging Equipment Operators is $49,740 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $24 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $35,170 and $74,300 a year. There are roughly 21K people employed as logging equipment operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Logging Equipment Operators.
- Hourly
- $23.91
- Daily
- $191
- Weekly
- $957
- Bi-weekly
- $1,913
- Monthly
- $4,145
- Annual
- $49,740
$49,740 a year is around the 50th percentile for Logging Equipment Operatorss. The median is $49,740.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$75,140
- 2Illinois$71,100
- 3Texas$62,890
- 4California$61,940
- 5South Dakota$58,740
- 6Oregon$58,720
- 7Louisiana$58,600
- 8Minnesota$58,590
- 9Montana$56,530
- 10Idaho$56,490
- 11Vermont$52,910
- 12New Hampshire$51,540
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Bellingham, WA$77,310
- 2Longview-Kelso, WA$76,980
- 3Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$75,140
- 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$74,790
- 5Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$71,620
- 6Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$64,520
- 7Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$63,580
- 8Salem, OR$62,740
- 9Redding, CA$60,600
- 10Alexandria, LA$60,410
- 11Corvallis, OR$59,290
- 12Duluth, MN-WI$59,130
Related job titles
Employers advertise Logging Equipment Operators roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators$61,810
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining$74,500
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining$57,430
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$41,730
- Crane and Tower Operators$68,080
What a Logging Equipment Operators does
- Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
- Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.
- Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.
- Drive straight or articulated tractors equipped with accessories such as bulldozer blades, grapples, logging arches, cable winches, and crane booms to skid, load, unload, or stack logs, pull stumps, or clear brush.
- Drive crawler or wheeled tractors to drag or transport logs from felling sites to log landing areas for processing and loading.
- Drive tractors for building or repairing logging and skid roads.
- Fill out required job or shift report forms.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Logging Equipment Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Logging Equipment Operators is $49,740 ($24 per hour). Pay ranges from about $35,170 at the 10th percentile to $74,300 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Logging Equipment Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $53,190, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Logging Equipment Operatorss the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $75,140.
- Is Logging Equipment Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 21K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Logging Equipment Operators do?
- Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.; Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.; Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards..