Farming, Fishing, and Forestry · Holland code RC
Fallers
Use axes or chainsaws to fell trees using knowledge of tree characteristics and cutting techniques to control direction of fall and minimize tree damage.
Also called: Logger, Timber Cutter, Timber Faller, Tree Faller, Bucker, Cutter Operator, Feller, Sawyer.
O*NET 45-4021.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $52,100
- Middle half earn $41,360 to $63,390. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
- 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.
- Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
- Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.
- Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
- Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.
- Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
- Monitoring3.0 / 5
- Active Listening2.6 / 5
- Speaking2.6 / 5
- Mathematics2.3 / 5
- Active Learning2.3 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical3.3 / 5
- Production and Processing3.0 / 5
- Public Safety and Security2.7 / 5
- Mathematics2.5 / 5
- English Language2.5 / 5
- Telecommunications2.2 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative25
- Artistic2
- Social15
- Enterprising10
- Conventional39
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- forestry technician · DE Forstaufseher/Forstaufseherin · FR technicien forestier/technicienne forestière
- arboriculturist · DE Arborist/Arboristin · FR arboriculteur/arboricultrice
- tree surgeon · DE Baumchirurg/Baumchirurgin · FR élagueur/élagueuse
- steeplejack · DE Industriekletterer/Industriekletterin · FR spécialiste des travaux en hauteur du bâtiment
- forestry machinery technician · DE Forstmaschinentechniker/Forstmaschinentechnikerin · FR technicien d’engins forestiers/technicienne d’engins forestiers
- chipper operator · DE Hackschnitzelerzeuger/Hackschnitzelerzeugerin · FR conducteur de déchiqueteuse/conductrice de déchiqueteuse
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Groundsmen and greenkeepers (5114)30,700 employed
- Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (5236)16,800 employed
- Gardeners and landscape gardeners (5113)165,600 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €39,630 |
| Netherlands | €37,567 |
| Austria | €37,304 |
| Sweden | €36,005 |
| Germany | €34,433 |
| Ireland | €32,617 |
| France | €28,550 |
| Italy | €28,330 |
| Spain | €24,409 |
| Portugal | €11,309 |
| Poland | €10,259 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.80. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (45-4021).
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