What Does it Take to Be a Faller?

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

Life As a Faller: What Do They Do?

• Mark logs for identification.
• Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
• 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.
• Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling.
• Work as a member of a team, rotating between chain saw operation and skidder operation.
• Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.

Faller Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Fallers say are important on the job.

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

• Feller Buncher Operator
• Arborist Climber
• Cross Cut Sawyer
• Pulpwood Cutter
• Skidder Operator

Is There Going to be 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.

Faller Salary

The salary for Fallers ranges between about $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 do Fallers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Fallers:

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

How do I Become a Faller?

What education or degrees do I need to become a Faller?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Faller?

Where Fallers Are Employed

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming a Faller might also be interested in the following careers:

• Helpers–Extraction Workers
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: via

More about our data sources and methodologies.