Fallers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Fallers fall under the Farming, Fishing, and Forestry category in the U.S. occupational classification. Fallers earn a median salary of $53,900 per year, ranking in the top 57% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -7.3% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do fallers earn?

The median annual wage for fallers is $53,900. That puts fallers at #463 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is fallers a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for fallers is -7.3%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 5K positions in 2024 to 5K in 2034, a net change of 0K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.

What do fallers do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working fallers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
2. 2.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.
3. 3.Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
4. 4.Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
5. 5.Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
6. 6.Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
7. 7.Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
8. 8.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.

Top skills for fallers

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become faller?

Many fallers enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
  $59,330 median
• Animal Breeders
  $52,000 median
• Logging Workers, All Other
  $52,000 median
• Agricultural Inspectors
  $50,990 median
• Logging Equipment Operators
  $49,210 median
• Log Graders and Scalers
  $46,710 median

Common questions parents ask about fallers