45 Series · SOC 45-4021

Fallers Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$52,100
Median / year
$82,360
Top 10% earn
-7.3%
Growth '23–'33
3,130
US workers

Fallers earn a median of $52,100 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $52,100, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,180 (10th percentile) to $82,360 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 3,130 US workers. Oregon pays the most ($84,490), since pay varies by state and metro area.

45 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Fallers earn a median of $52,100, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 37% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Farming, Fishing, and Forestry, it ranks #2 of 13 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 7.3% by 2033.

$52,100
Median annual wage
Top 63%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#2 of 13
in Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
2.3×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Oregon at $84,490. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Fallers (SOC 45-4021) pays a national median of $52,100 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,180 at the 10th percentile to $82,360 at the 90th, with a mean of $57,110 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 3,130 Americans work in this occupation across 18 reporting states and 9 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a -7.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of D for this role, with a fatality rate of 111.7 per 100,000 and injury rate of 4 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Oregon pays the highest state median at $84,490, which is +62% above the national figure. The top metro is Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area at $95,130 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 3,130 jobs Median $52,100/yr

Median Salary

$52,100

per year

Median Hourly

$25.05/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$57,110

average

Employment

3,130

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Fallers pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$52,100 Bottom 37% higher than 37% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 45-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Fallers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 13 45-series occupations with growth data, Fallers sits on the slower-growing side at -7.3% growth and $52,100 median pay.

Among 13 45-series occupations with growth data, Fallers sits on the slower-growing side at -7.3% growth and $52,100 median pay. Scatter plot of 13 data points. $30000$40000$50000$60000$70000 -10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Farmworkers and Labo…Farmworkers, Farm, R…Agricultural Equipme…First-Line Superviso…Graders and Sorters,…Logging Equipment Op…Agricultural Inspect…Forest and Conservat…Agricultural Workers…FallersLog Graders and Scal…Logging Workers, All…Animal Breeders
Among 13 45-series occupations with growth data, Fallers sits on the slower-growing side at -7.3% growth and $52,100 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

-7.3%

Declining

Annual Openings

700

per year (projected)

Typical Education

High school diploma or equivalent

On-the-Job Training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
D

Dangerous

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

111.7/100K

Injury Rate

4/100

Danger Index

71.9/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Fallers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Operation and Control 3.4
Critical Thinking 3.3
Monitoring 3.3
Operations Monitoring 3.3
Judgment and Decision Making 3.0
Active Listening 2.9
Equipment Maintenance 2.9
Troubleshooting 2.8
Repairing 2.8
Speaking 2.6

Knowledge Areas

Mechanical 2.9
Production and Processing 2.7
Administration and Management 2.5
Public Safety and Security 2.4
Customer and Personal Service 2.4
Mathematics 2.2
Economics and Accounting 2.2
Law and Government 2.1
Engineering and Technology 2.1
Education and Training 2.1

Key Tasks

  • ▸ 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.
  • ▸ Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
  • ▸ 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.
  • ▸ Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.
  • ▸ Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$35,180$41,360$52,100$63,390$82,360
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$16.91$19.89$25.05$30.48$39.60
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$35,180

25th Percentile

$41,360

Median

$52,100

75th Percentile

$63,390

90th Percentile

$82,360

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. Oregon $84,490 2. Idaho $78,330 3. Washington $77,340 4. South Carolina $76,350 5. Arkansas $67,060

Lowest Paying States

14. Indiana $26,210 15. New York $36,190 16. Georgia $39,380 17. North Carolina $46,080 18. Tennessee $47,560
View all 18 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Oregon $84,490 +62% above national
2 Idaho $78,330 +50% above national
3 Washington $77,340 +48% above national
4 South Carolina $76,350 +47% above national
5 Arkansas $67,060 +29% above national
6 Louisiana $62,040 +19% above national
7 California $59,590 +14% above national
8 Maryland $58,300 +12% above national
9 Mississippi $54,110 +4% above national
10 Michigan $51,700 1% below national
11 Wisconsin $50,010 4% below national
12 Virginia $48,340 7% below national
13 Ohio $47,700 8% below national
14 Tennessee $47,560 9% below national
15 North Carolina $46,080 12% below national
16 Georgia $39,380 24% below national
17 New York $36,190 31% below national
18 Indiana $26,210 50% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area $95,130 2. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $76,940 3. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area $59,590 4. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area $59,440 5. Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area $58,250

Lowest Paying Metros

5. Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area $36,280 6. Richmond, VA $40,560 7. Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $46,100 8. Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area $51,700 9. Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area $58,250
View all 9 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area $95,130 +83% above national
2 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $76,940 +48% above national
3 North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area $59,590 +14% above national
4 Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area $59,440 +14% above national
5 Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area $58,250 +12% above national
6 Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area $51,700 1% below national
7 Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $46,100 12% below national
8 Richmond, VA $40,560 22% below national
9 Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area $36,280 30% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 45 (farming fishing and forestry) with comparable pay and career paths.

Agricultural Equipment Operators

SOC 45-2091

Agricultural Inspectors

SOC 45-2011

Agricultural Workers, All Other

SOC 45-2099

Animal Breeders

SOC 45-2021

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

SOC 45-2092
Compare Fallers side-by-side with another occupation →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Fallers make? ▼
The median annual salary for Fallers is $52,100 ($25.05/hour). The salary range spans from $35,180 at the 10th percentile to $82,360 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Fallers the most? ▼
Oregon pays the highest median salary for Fallers at $84,490/year, which is +62% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Fallers? ▼
The typical entry-level education for Fallers is High school diploma or equivalent. On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
How dangerous is being a Fallers? ▼
Fallers has a safety grade of D (Dangerous) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 111.7 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 4 per 100 workers.
Is Fallers a good career? ▼
Employment for Fallers is projected to decline 7.3% from 2024 to 2034, which is declining. About 700 openings are projected each year.
How does Fallers pay vary by state? ▼
Fallers salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Oregon at $84,490/year, while Tennessee pays the least at $47,560/year. BLS data covers 18 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Fallers? ▼
The highest-paying metro area for Fallers is Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area at $95,130/year. BLS reports wage data for 9 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Fallers pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $63,390/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Oregon leads at $84,490/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.