Fallers
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 it pays
Fallers earn a median of $25.05/hr — about $52,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.91/hr; the top 10% earn $39.60/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Fallers earn a median of $25.05/hr — about $52,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.91/hr; the top 10% earn $39.60/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
- 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.
- Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
- Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
- Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
- Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 29.6% of fallers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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- Logging Workers, All Other
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- Log Graders and Scalers
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Quick questions
- How much does a faller make?
- The median pay is $25.05 per hour — roughly $52,000 a year, with the real range running from about $16.91/hr (10th percentile) to $39.60/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a faller?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
- What does a faller actually do all day?
- Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls. 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. Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.