How To Become A Logger

What Does A Logger Do?

A logger is a professional who works in forested areas to cut down trees and prepare them to be used in other industries.

If you are picturing Paul Bunyan right now, then you kind of already know what a logger does. Although in his day they were called lumberjacks. Paul Bunyan was a sort of super-hero that cut down trees in a forested area and was famous for his skill, speed, and strength in doing so.

Today, we have loggers, who are real people with the same attributes of skill, speed, and strength in taking down trees.

Logger is a broad term that can include a few specific workers in the timber industry including:

• Tree climbers. They actually climb trees and remove limbs.
• Buckers. Work with the fallers to trim branches and tops of falling trees that are on the ground.
• Log graders and scalers. Use devices to determine the value of the logs and inspect them for defects and size reviewing things like knot size.
• Log sorters, movers, chippers. Mark and move logs based on predetermined metrics and work on machines that turn logs into chips.
• Logging equipment operators. Heavy machinery operation is a big part of a logging crews job. Many loggers will drive tractors and operate skidders or forwarders to move the logs to a loading area.
• Choke setters. Set the cables or chains around the logs to allow tractors to pull them to a destination.
• Fallers. Use power chain saws to cut down trees and trim logs to specific lengths.

So, as you can see there are so many types of logging jobs for you to think about! Each of these workers will be in a small group at a set location working together to make things happen.

Loggers tend to work in deeply forested areas. When we think of loggers, they are often associated with areas like California, Montana, British Columbia, and Oregon. While jobs are not limited to these areas, they can offer more opportunities than many others.

How To Become A Logger

So, what kind of education do logging workers have?

You will be happy to know, they do not need that much!

Becoming a logger is one of the easier trade jobs to get into. It is a career path that does not require any training programs or formal education. But, getting some additional education or training is recommended to ensure you can be the best logger you can be!

Below are some of the basics as to how to get into this unique career.

Now let’s dig a litter deeper into the details of how to become a logger.

While you may be excited about the lack of required education, we still highly recommend you do take some kind of training or certification course. Learning the ins and out of the career and the opportunities available to you can make it a more rewarding career.

1. Basic Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• High school diploma or GED

2. Optional Education Requirements

Attending a community college for an Associate’s degree or certification in forest technology can help you land a variety of forestry jobs. Classes like shop or environmental science can also give you a competitive advantage when applying for jobs.

Programs that focus on forestry or environmental science can really help you learn how to understand the ecosystems you will be working on and how to evaluate the wood quality.

As you grow in your career, these additional educational factors may help you grow to more managerial positions or help you land other types of jobs within the forestry industry.

If you do attend a vocational program, you can also check to see if they have any career services that can help you find potential employers to work with. Many logger hopefuls find careers with their state or national forest associations, so those are also good places to start.

If you are interested in operating the heavy equipment that is often used in logging, you can check out our list of heavy equipment trade schools.

Training

Each state is different in its requirements for training, but in all states, you will undergo some type of training before you get started in your job. You will work for a period of time under more experienced loggers where you will learn more about the logging industry and gain experience in various logging tasks.

Typical training might also include environmental compliance, reforestation, and of course safety training.

Recommended Skills For Loggers

Becoming a logger is one of the easier occupations to get into as it requires no real post-high-school education.

But, there are still some skills that may make you better at the job!

Pros & Cons Of Being A Logger

A job as a logger is a tough one.

The cons do outweigh the pros of this career choice.

It is a very dangerous job due to the type of work, but also because you will work in all kinds of weather conditions – and forest environments. Loggers work long hours and may travel a lot which means being away from home for long durations. But, on the good side – this travel can take you to new exciting locations you have never been to before.

How Much Do Loggers Make?

The average salary as noted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for a logger is $46,330.

This is a median salary which means that half of the workers in the industry earned more and half earned less.

This salary range can vary based on location and experience. An entry level position as a logger may start out much lower, while those with years of logging experience can make higher than median earnings.

Logging Industry Job Outlook

The outlook for loggers is not as strong as many other careers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is expected that there will be a 4% decline through through 2031.

While there are still many job opening expected, these are due to the current workers who leave the occupation whether due to a career change or retirement. Fallers are expected to see the biggest decline while log graders and scalers are expected to see a small amount of growth.

Resources

• Master Logger Certification
• Hinds Logging Academy
• American Loggers Council