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All About Fallers

Job Description & Duties Use axes or chainsaws to fell trees using knowledge of tree characteristics and cutting techniques to control direction of fall and minimize tree damage.

A Day in the Life of a Faller

  • Load logs or wood onto trucks, trailers, or railroad cars, by hand or using loaders or winches.
  • Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
  • Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
  • Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.
  • Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons.
  • Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling.

What a Faller Should Know

These are the skills Fallers say are the most useful in their careers:

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

  • Timber Faller
  • Grapple Crew Leader
  • Cross Cut Sawyer
  • Hook Tender
  • Tree Feller

Job Outlook for Fallers

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 7,500 jobs in the United States for Faller. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Faller. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 800 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Faller are Kentucky, Maryland, and Oregon. Watch out if you plan on working in Georgia, Alaska, or South Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Fallers Salary

The typical yearly salary for Fallers is somewhere between $27,080 and $78,500.

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Fallers who work in New York, Oregon, or Montana, make the highest salaries.

How much do Fallers make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $44,320
Alaska $59,680
Arkansas $55,050
California $56,720
Colorado $29,650
Georgia $42,570
Idaho $43,170
Indiana $53,620
Louisiana $39,320
Maryland $41,480
Massachusetts $45,480
Michigan $36,670
Minnesota $45,010
Mississippi $48,700
Missouri $39,910
Montana $65,560
New Hampshire $45,240
New York $63,040
North Carolina $56,500
Ohio $29,130
Oregon $67,560
Pennsylvania $33,170
Tennessee $38,020
Texas $50,220
Vermont $40,810
Virginia $42,120
Washington $66,870
West Virginia $38,620

Tools & Technologies Used by Fallers

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Fallers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office
  • ESRI ArcView
  • BCS Woodlands Software The Logger Tracker

How to Become a Faller

Are there Fallers education requirements?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Faller?

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Where do Fallers Work?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Fallers employed by various industries.

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Similar Careers

Those interested in being a Faller may also be interested in:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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