Logging Equipment Operators pay in the U.S.
$53,190avg. a year
$25.57 an hour · 21,060 employed
Logging Equipment Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $53,190 a year and a median of $49,740. Pay is highest in California ($74,210) and lowest in Kentucky ($37,120).
$49,740Median pay
$25.57Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
21,060Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for logging equipment operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1950 jobs
California
$74,210
$35.68 an hour
21,150 jobs
Washington
$73,980
$35.57 an hour
340 jobs
Illinois
$62,930
$30.26 an hour
41,860 jobs
Oregon
$59,670
$28.69 an hour
5190 jobs
Montana
$59,620
$28.66 an hour
6560 jobs
Idaho
$59,610
$28.66 an hour
7770 jobs
Louisiana
$57,400
$27.60 an hour
870 jobs
Colorado
$56,440
$27.14 an hour
9500 jobs
Texas
$56,190
$27.02 an hour
1050 jobs
South Dakota
$55,770
$26.81 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Logging Equipment Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $48k$48k–$50k$50k–$56k$56k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $75,790 | $36.44 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $74,390 | $35.76 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $74,340 | $35.74 |
| Salem, OR | $66,680 | $32.06 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $66,190 | $31.82 |
| Albany, OR | $60,290 | $28.99 |
| Medford, OR | $58,330 | $28.04 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $58,040 | $27.91 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Logging Equipment Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,550 | $47,810 | 1,860 |
| Arkansas | $48,830 | $48,280 | 1,280 |
| California | $74,210 | $61,940 | 950 |
| Colorado | $56,440 | $49,620 | 70 |
| Florida | $49,960 | $49,370 | 770 |
| Georgia | $49,850 | $45,080 | 1,620 |
| Idaho | $59,610 | $56,490 | 560 |
| Illinois | $62,930 | $71,100 | 40 |
| Indiana | $46,350 | $46,320 | 150 |
| Kentucky | $37,120 | $30,230 | 300 |
| Louisiana | $57,400 | $58,600 | 770 |
| Maine | $48,200 | $44,780 | 830 |
| Maryland | $51,400 | $47,530 | 60 |
| Massachusetts | $52,170 | $48,960 | – |
| Michigan | $50,510 | $47,610 | 860 |
| Minnesota | $54,110 | $58,590 | 320 |
| Mississippi | $47,520 | $49,620 | 1,220 |
| Missouri | $47,540 | $41,770 | 140 |
| Montana | $59,620 | $56,530 | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $52,560 | $51,540 | 170 |
| New York | $50,460 | $47,540 | 290 |
| North Carolina | $52,040 | $48,420 | 990 |
| Ohio | $49,400 | $50,590 | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $43,540 | $37,270 | 130 |
| Oregon | $59,670 | $58,720 | 1,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,000 | $46,880 | 360 |
| South Carolina | $49,980 | $47,650 | 920 |
| South Dakota | $55,770 | $58,740 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $45,240 | $46,310 | 400 |
| Texas | $56,190 | $62,890 | 500 |
| Vermont | $53,020 | $52,910 | 60 |
| Virginia | $46,840 | $46,090 | 570 |
| Washington | $73,980 | $75,140 | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $42,510 | $36,130 | 310 |
| Wisconsin | $47,520 | $46,360 | 480 |
| Wyoming | $44,400 | $49,650 | 40 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$47,070
300 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$66,190
290 jobsEugene-Springfield, OR
$58,040
250 jobsLongview-Kelso, WA
$74,340
180 jobsTuscaloosa, AL
$47,530
160 jobsCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$53,550
150 jobsAlbany, OR
$60,290
130 jobsBangor, ME
$46,320
130 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do logging equipment operators make?
The average is $53,190 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $49,740 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $25.57, and the median is $23.91 an hour.
Which state pays logging equipment operators the most?
California, with an average of $74,210 a year. The best-paying metro area is Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA at $75,790.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $35,170 a year, and the top 10% earn over $74,300.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 45-4022. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.