What Does it Take to Be a Faller?
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
- 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.
- Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
- Secure steel cables or chains to logs for dragging by tractors or for pulling by cable yarding systems.
- Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
- Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.
Featured schools near , edit
Things a Faller Should Know How to Do
When polled, Fallers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Other Faller Job Titles
- High Climber
- Bucker
- Feller Buncher Operator
- Timber Cutter
- Cutter Operator
Is There Job Demand for Fallers?
In the United States, there were 7,500 jobs for Faller in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Faller. The BLS estimates 800 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Do Fallers Make A Lot Of Money?
Fallers make between $27,080 and $78,500 a year.

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 |
What Tools & Technology do Fallers Use?
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
Learn what Faller education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Faller?

Where Fallers Are Employed

Below are examples of industries where Fallers work:

Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Faller may also be interested in:
- Helpers–Extraction Workers
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |