Logging Equipment Operators Salary: $49,210 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 22,520 logging equipment operators work nationally, and $49,210 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.6% annual decline.
Logging Equipment Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about logging equipment operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a logging equipment operators?
Logging Equipment Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 45-4022.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 22,520 workers.
What does a logging equipment operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Controlling Machines and Processes, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a logging equipment operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,210 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $65,058 — 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 | $52,653 |
| 25th percentile | $61,300 |
| Median (50th) | $63,822 |
| 75th percentile | $72,624 |
| 90th percentile | $76,546 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Production and Processing, Transportation. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is logging equipment operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -7.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -15.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 22,520.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do logging equipment operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 22,520 | 20.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 22,520 | 20.8% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 17,290 | 15.9% |
| Forestry and Logging | 17,290 | 15.9% |
| Logging | 17,290 | 15.9% |
| Manufacturing | 3,330 | 3.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Logging Equipment Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 180,270 | $63,980 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 16,480 | $67,370 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | 7,310 | $82,730 |
| Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers | 2,010 | $49,300 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 30,940 | $42,580 |
| Helpers--Production Workers | 167,490 | $38,220 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Logging Equipment Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
22,520 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Logging Equipment Operators shrank from 4,440 in 2009 to 3,420 in 2025 (23.0%).
Historical employment for Logging Equipment Operators from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$49,210 Median pay (BLS national)
Logging Equipment Operators earn $49,210 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Logging Equipment Operators.
Salary distribution for Logging Equipment Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
3,152 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -7.8%
2,905 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -15.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Logging Equipment Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Logging Equipment Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Logging Equipment Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Logging Equipment Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
17.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -5.5% growth (Current: $74,137)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Logging Equipment Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Logging Equipment Operators.
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:
- AL: 1,950 employees, $50,780 avg wage
- GA: 1,810 employees, $50,360 avg wage
- OR: 1,750 employees, $58,910 avg wage
- NC: 1,190 employees, $46,120 avg wage
- WA: 1,150 employees, $72,120 avg wage
- FL: 1,060 employees, $47,940 avg wage
- MS: 1,060 employees, $46,230 avg wage
- SC: 980 employees, $49,620 avg wage
- AR: 970 employees, $47,290 avg wage
- CA: 940 employees, $63,200 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Logging Equipment Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 270 employees, $66,090 avg wage
- Eugene-Springfield, OR: 250 employees, $57,840 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 210 employees, $52,940 avg wage
- Tuscaloosa, AL: 180 employees, $50,960 avg wage
- Bangor, ME: 160 employees, $46,720 avg wage
- Jacksonville, FL: 160 employees, $50,090 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 150 employees, $75,170 avg wage
- Albany, OR: 140 employees, $57,910 avg wage
- Longview-Kelso, WA: 140 employees, $74,030 avg wage
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 130 employees, $51,430 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Logging Equipment Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Logging Equipment Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Logging Equipment Operators is about 22,520 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Logging Equipment Operators.
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 Logging Equipment Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Logging Equipment Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Logging Equipment Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Logging Equipment Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Logging Equipment Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Logging Equipment Operators.
Skills
Logging Equipment Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring, Troubleshooting.
Required skills for Logging Equipment Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Logging Equipment Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Logging Equipment Operators include Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Production and Processing, Transportation, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Logging Equipment Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Logging Equipment Operators include Control Precision, Reaction Time, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Multilimb Coordination, Depth Perception.
Required abilities for Logging Equipment Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Logging Equipment Operators.
Daily Activities
Logging Equipment Operators spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Controlling Machines and Processes, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Logging Equipment Operators.
About
Logging Equipment Operators
Logging Equipment Operators earn $49,210 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
45-4022 - Logging Equipment Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Logging Equipment Operators reports an average salary of $65,058.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 22,520 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.6%, 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.