Fallers
Low19.26%
Salary Range
Low (10th %)$32,920
Median$53,170
High (90th %)$90,930
AI Prompt Guides for Fallers
Unlock expert prompt guides tailored for this Fallers. Get strategies to boost your productivity and results with AI.
AI Prompt Tool for Fallers
Experiment with and customize AI prompts designed for this occupation. Try, edit, and save prompts for your workflow.
Use axes or chainsaws to fell trees using knowledge of tree characteristics and cutting techniques to control direction of fall and minimize tree damage.
The occupation "Fallers" has an automation risk of 19.3%, indicating a relatively low likelihood of being fully replaced by automated systems in the near future. This low base risk, closely aligned with the calculated base rate of 19.4%, is largely due to the unique combination of physical demands, situational awareness, and decision-making required in this job. Fallers are responsible for using chainsaws or axes to cut down trees, a task that involves adapting to unpredictable environmental conditions and real-time assessment of hazards. While technology in forestry is advancing, the sheer variety of situations encountered in different forests, terrains, and weather conditions makes full automation challenging. The most automatable tasks for Fallers involve routine, predictable, or highly repetitive actions. For instance, tasks such as stopping saw engines, pulling cutting bars from cuts, and running to safety as the tree falls could be automated with specialized machinery and robotics, especially in controlled forestry environments. Similarly, appraising trees for certain visible or sensor-detectable characteristics (like rot or lean) and sawing back-cuts for controlled falls are tasks that could benefit from advancements in machine vision and precision sawing equipment. These processes lend themselves to automation because they are based on technical skills that can be replicated by specialized hardware and software, given the appropriate environment. However, several critical tasks performed by Fallers resist automation due to the necessity for human judgment, teamwork, and adaptability. Placing supporting limbs or poles to prevent splitting and rolling requires hands-on adjustments often dictated by the immediate situation and terrain, which are hard for machines to interpret without extensive sensory input and adaptive algorithms. Working as part of a team—coordinating between chainsaw operation and skidder operation—requires a level of communication and real-time role-switching that is challenging for current AI. Marking logs for identification is also resistant to automation, as it often involves visual assessment and contextual decision-making. Bottleneck skills such as Originality, with observable levels of 2.1% and 1.8%, further reinforce this resistance; generating creative solutions to novel, rapidly changing problems is still an area where human workers significantly outperform machines in forestry settings.
Filter by Automatable Status
Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
Non-Automatable
Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
Non-Automatable
Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
Non-Automatable
Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
Non-Automatable
Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
Automatable
Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
Partially Automatable
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.
Non-Automatable
Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.
Non-Automatable
Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.
Partially Automatable
Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.
Non-Automatable
Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.
Non-Automatable
Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons.
Non-Automatable
Secure steel cables or chains to logs for dragging by tractors or for pulling by cable yarding systems.
Non-Automatable
Load logs or wood onto trucks, trailers, or railroad cars, by hand or using loaders or winches.
Partially Automatable
Mark logs for identification.
Automatable
Work as a member of a team, rotating between chain saw operation and skidder operation.
Non-Automatable
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.
Partially Automatable
Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling.
Non-Automatable
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingNegotiationComplex Problem SolvingOperations MonitoringEquipment MaintenanceSystems AnalysisManagement of Material ResourcesWritingSpeakingMathematicsScienceActive LearningLearning StrategiesMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationPersuasionInstructingService OrientationOperations AnalysisTechnology DesignEquipment SelectionInstallationProgrammingOperation and ControlTroubleshootingRepairingQuality Control AnalysisJudgment and Decision MakingSystems EvaluationTime ManagementManagement of Financial ResourcesManagement of Personnel Resources
Arm-Hand SteadinessAuditory AttentionCategory FlexibilityControl PrecisionDeductive ReasoningDepth PerceptionDynamic FlexibilityDynamic StrengthExplosive StrengthExtent FlexibilityFar VisionFinger DexterityFlexibility of ClosureFluency of IdeasGlare SensitivityGross Body CoordinationGross Body EquilibriumHearing SensitivityInductive ReasoningInformation OrderingManual DexterityMathematical ReasoningMemorizationMultilimb CoordinationNear VisionNight VisionNumber FacilityOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionOriginalityPerceptual SpeedPeripheral VisionProblem SensitivityRate ControlReaction TimeResponse OrientationSelective AttentionSound LocalizationSpatial OrientationSpeech ClaritySpeech RecognitionSpeed of ClosureSpeed of Limb MovementStaminaStatic StrengthTime SharingTrunk StrengthVisual Color DiscriminationVisualizationWrist-Finger SpeedWritten ComprehensionWritten Expression
Administration and ManagementAdministrativeEconomics and AccountingSales and MarketingCustomer and Personal ServicePersonnel and Human ResourcesProduction and ProcessingFood ProductionComputers and ElectronicsEngineering and TechnologyDesignBuilding and ConstructionMechanicalMathematicsPhysicsChemistryBiologyPsychologySociology and AnthropologyGeographyHistory and ArcheologyPhilosophy and TheologyPublic Safety and SecurityLaw and GovernmentTelecommunicationsCommunications and MediaTransportationMedicine and DentistryForeign LanguageEnglish LanguageFine ArtsEducation and TrainingTherapy and Counseling
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationGetting InformationIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleProcessing InformationEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsAnalyzing Data or InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsThinking CreativelyUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesScheduling Work and ActivitiesOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentWorking with ComputersRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDocumenting/Recording InformationDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsAssisting and Caring for OthersSelling or Influencing OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersDeveloping and Building TeamsTraining and Teaching OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesCoaching and Developing OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesStaffing Organizational UnitsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesPerforming General Physical ActivitiesHandling and Moving ObjectsControlling Machines and Processes
Assisi Software Assisi InventoryAssisi Software Assisi ManagerBCS Woodlands Software Woodlands TrackerMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordESRI ArcViewMicrosoft OutlookAssisi Software Assisi InventoryAssisi Software Assisi ManagerBCS Woodlands Software Woodlands TrackerESRI ArcViewMicrosoft PowerPointAssisi CompilerMicrosoft OutlookGeographic information system GIS systemsGeographic information system GIS systemsBCS Woodlands Software The Logger TrackerAssisi CompilerBCS Woodlands Software The Logger TrackerAssisi Software Assisi ResourceAssisi Software Assisi ResourceMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Word
Foresters
Medium47.18%
Manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. May inventory the type, amount, and location of standing timber, appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase, and draw up contracts for procurement. May determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quality, and soil stability, and how best to comply with environmental regulations. May devise plans for planting and growing new trees, monitor trees for healthy growth, and determine optimal harvesting schedules.
Forest and Conservation Technicians
Medium40.64%
Provide technical assistance regarding the conservation of soil, water, forests, or related natural resources. May compile data pertaining to size, content, condition, and other characteristics of forest tracts under the direction of foresters, or train and lead forest workers in forest propagation and fire prevention and suppression. May assist conservation scientists in managing, improving, and protecting rangelands and wildlife habitats.
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Low19.04%
Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers typically perform a variety of tasks, which may include any combination of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units.
Tree Trimmers and Pruners
Low12.36%
Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Medium51.76%
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of agricultural, forestry, aquacultural, and related workers.
Agricultural Equipment Operators
Medium49.56%
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Medium41.19%
Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
Forest and Conservation Workers
Low29.06%
Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.
Logging Equipment Operators
Medium49.47%
Drive logging tractor or wheeled vehicle equipped with one or more accessories, such as bulldozer blade, frontal shear, grapple, logging arch, cable winches, hoisting rack, or crane boom, to fell tree; to skid, load, unload, or stack logs; or to pull stumps or clear brush. Includes operating stand-alone logging machines, such as log chippers.
Log Graders and Scalers
Medium49.42%
Grade logs or estimate the marketable content or value of logs or pulpwood in sorting yards, millpond, log deck, or similar locations. Inspect logs for defects or measure logs to determine volume.
Carpenters
Low17.84%
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Medium39.01%
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Low20.92%
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Medium37.50%
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
Rock Splitters, Quarry
Low16.50%
Separate blocks of rough dimension stone from quarry mass using jackhammers, wedges, or chop saws.
Helpers--Extraction Workers
Low24.71%
Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.
Riggers
Low19.42%
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
Medium37.16%
Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Medium44.55%
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
Hoist and Winch Operators
Low24.71%
Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.
Fishing and Hunting Workers
Low26.38%
Hunt, trap, catch, or gather wild animals or aquatic animals and plants. May use nets, traps, or other equipment. May haul catch onto ship or other vessel.