Log Graders and Scalers Salary: $54,856 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 3,310 log graders and scalers nationally earn a mean of $54,856. Employment in the series shown rose about 20% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.9% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Log Graders and Scalers: what the data shows
Common questions about log graders and scalers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a log graders and scalers?
Log Graders and Scalers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 45-4023.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 3,310 workers.
What does a log graders and scalers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, Documenting/Recording Information, Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a log graders and scalers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $46,710 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $54,856 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,057 |
| 25th percentile | $44,635 |
| Median (50th) | $58,233 |
| 75th percentile | $63,174 |
| 90th percentile | $65,716 |
What education do you need?
For Log Graders and Scalers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is log graders and scalers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 33.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 77.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 3,310.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do log graders and scalerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 3,310 | 20.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 3,290 | 20.7% |
| Manufacturing | 2,800 | 17.6% |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | 2,760 | 17.4% |
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 1,680 | 10.6% |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 760 | 4.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Log Graders and Scalers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Log Graders and Scalers workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,310 Workforce in 2023
The Log Graders and Scalers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Log Graders and Scalers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$54,856 Average Wage
In 2023, Log Graders and Scalers earned an average of $54,856.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Log Graders and Scalers.
Salary distribution for Log Graders and Scalers.
Employment Growth Projections
5.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,331 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 33.2%
1,773 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 77.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Log Graders and Scalers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Log Graders and Scalers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Log Graders and Scalers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Log Graders and Scalers.
Wage Trends by Industry
10.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 8.2% growth (Current: $56,400)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Log Graders and Scalers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Log Graders and Scalers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 420 employees, $53,290 avg wage
- PA: 340 employees, $41,940 avg wage
- AR: 240 employees, $41,790 avg wage
- WV: 190 employees, $45,900 avg wage
- WA: 190 employees, $62,070 avg wage
- AL: 180 employees, $44,920 avg wage
- OR: 180 employees, $62,780 avg wage
- KY: 160 employees, $43,690 avg wage
- MS: 130 employees, $44,080 avg wage
- NC: 120 employees, $51,990 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Log Graders and Scalers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Tuscaloosa, AL: 40 employees, $45,590 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Log Graders and Scalers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Log Graders and Scalers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Log Graders and Scalers in 2023 was 3,310 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Log Graders and Scalers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Log Graders and Scalers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Log Graders and Scalers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Log Graders and Scalers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Log Graders and Scalers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Log Graders and Scalers workers.
Education level distribution for Log Graders and Scalers.
Skills
Log Graders and Scalers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Log Graders and Scalers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Log Graders and Scalers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Log Graders and Scalers include Production and Processing, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Log Graders and Scalers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Log Graders and Scalers include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Log Graders and Scalers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Log Graders and Scalers.
Daily Activities
Log Graders and Scalers spend their time on activities such as Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, Documenting/Recording Information, Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
Most important work activities for Log Graders and Scalers.
About
Log Graders and Scalers
The average yearly wage for Log Graders and Scalers was $54,856 in 2023.
SOC Code
45-4023 - Log Graders and Scalers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Log Graders and Scalers reports an average salary of $54,856.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,310 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.