Career Atlas USA

Log Graders and Scalers

Median salary
$46,330
Average salary
$47,770
Employment
3,070
Projected growth
0.7% decline
Annual openings
600
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent

What Log Graders and Scalers Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 20242034.

Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
28.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

  • Production and Processingimportance 3.8/5
  • Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5
  • Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
  • Administration and Managementimportance 3.0/5
  • Mechanicalimportance 2.7/5
  • Education and Trainingimportance 2.7/5
  • Transportationimportance 2.6/5
  • English Languageimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

  • Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.6/5
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.3/5
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

  • Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
  • Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
  • Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
  • Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
  • Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
  • Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
  • Persuasionimportance 2.8/5
  • Operation and Controlimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Other Software Used

  • AS/400 Database
  • Atterbury Consultants SuperACE/FLIPS

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cautiousness
  • Integrity
  • Perseverance
  • Achievement Orientation
  • Self-Confidence

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

  • ConventionalHigh
  • RealisticMedium
  • InvestigativeLow
  • EnterprisingLow
  • SocialLow
  • ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

See the full career path from Log Graders and Scalers

Full salary data & percentiles →Best states for this career →Highest-paying states →