Log graders and scalers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,950 | $16.80 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $46,330 | $22.27 |
| Mean (average) | $47,770 | $22.97 |
| 90th percentile | $62,400 | $30.00 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Log graders and scalers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 25 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,950 | $35,270 | $58,880 | 100 | 2.44 |
| Arkansas | $42,340 | $27,050 | $52,830 | 190 | 7.43 |
| California | $56,670 | $36,570 | $62,780 | 320 | 0.9 |
| Florida | $39,040 | $31,850 | $59,070 | 70 | 0.35 |
| Georgia | $39,830 | $20,810 | $49,930 | 130 | 1.35 |
| Idaho | $57,620 | $48,010 | $62,780 | 140 | 8.26 |
| Indiana | $46,160 | $37,320 | $65,510 | 60 | 0.95 |
| Kentucky | $45,330 | $36,740 | $54,450 | 80 | 1.92 |
| Louisiana | $47,510 | $21,960 | $52,000 | 90 | 2.41 |
| Maine | $50,180 | $41,770 | $76,670 | 120 | 9.51 |
| Michigan | $51,810 | $44,130 | $62,600 | 50 | 0.52 |
| Mississippi | $48,010 | $31,850 | $54,960 | 130 | 5.79 |
| Missouri | $37,440 | $37,170 | $37,440 | 60 | 1.08 |
| New Hampshire | $46,530 | $42,820 | $62,830 | 30 | 2.59 |
| North Carolina | $36,850 | $33,660 | $63,820 | 200 | 2.03 |
| Ohio | $49,710 | $38,030 | $80,290 | 30 | 0.29 |
| Oregon | $60,250 | $51,560 | $63,720 | 50 | 1.37 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,550 | $36,880 | $60,760 | 330 | 2.71 |
| South Carolina | $44,370 | $30,750 | $51,250 | 40 | 0.91 |
| Tennessee | $35,920 | $28,730 | $56,160 | 110 | 1.69 |
| Texas | $36,100 | $34,990 | $40,670 | 40 | 0.15 |
| Virginia | $36,220 | $30,610 | $50,730 | 80 | 0.99 |
| Washington | $61,580 | $50,240 | $82,300 | 200 | 2.82 |
| West Virginia | $43,040 | $36,750 | $48,360 | 90 | 6.14 |
| Wisconsin | $46,150 | $42,260 | $58,590 | 180 | 3.02 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for log graders and scalers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 29.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for log graders and scalers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Evaluate log characteristics and determine grades, using established criteria.
- Record data about individual trees or load volumes into tally books or hand-held collection terminals.
- Measure felled logs or loads of pulpwood to calculate volume, weight, dimensions, and marketable value, using measuring devices and conversion tables.
- Paint identification marks of specified colors on logs to identify grades or species, using spray cans, or call out grades to log markers.
- Jab logs with metal ends of scale sticks, and inspect logs to ascertain characteristics or defects such as water damage, splits, knots, broken ends, rotten areas, twists, and curves.
- Identify logs of substandard or special grade so that they can be returned to shippers, regraded, recut, or transferred for other processing.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- AS/400 Database
- Atterbury Consultants SuperACE/FLIPS
Transferable skills for career changers: Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Operations Monitoring, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness.
Common job titles: Log Buyer, Log Check Scaler, Log Grader, Log Scaler, Lumber Grader, Scaler, Timber Buyer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do log graders and scalers make?
The national median annual wage for log graders and scalers was $46,330 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $34,950 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $62,400. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do log graders and scalers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is log graders and scalers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of log graders and scalers to change -2.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay log graders and scalers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($61,580), Oregon ($60,250), Idaho ($57,620). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.