Log Graders and Scalers
Log Graders and Scalers (SOC 45-4023) earn a median $46,330 a year ($22.27 an hour) in the United States, with 3,070 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What log graders and scalers do
Log graders and scalers assign grades to logs, or estimate how much usable material or value logs and pulpwood hold, in sorting yards, at a millpond or log deck, or in similar places. They inspect logs for defects and measure them to determine volume. A grader evaluates log characteristics and determines grades using established criteria, jabbing logs with the metal end of a scale stick and looking for defects such as water damage, splits, knots, broken ends, rot, twists, and curves. Measurements of felled logs or loads of pulpwood are used to calculate volume, weight, dimensions, and marketable value, with measuring devices and conversion tables. Data about individual trees or load volumes is entered into tally books or hand-held collection terminals. Grades or species are marked with colored paint from spray cans, or the grades are called out to log markers. Logs of substandard or special grade are picked out for return to shippers, regrading, recutting, or other processing. The occupation excludes buyers and purchasing agents of farm products. Deck scaler and landing scaler are alternate titles.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Check Scaler, Compounding Scaler, Deck Scaler, Deck Specialist, Decker.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.80 | $18.16 | $22.27 | $27.04 | $30.00 | $22.97 | 3,070 |
| Annual | $34,950 | $37,780 | $46,330 | $56,250 | $62,400 | $47,770 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where log graders and scalers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.16 | $27.59 | $29.61 | $33.50 | $39.57 | $31.43 | 200 | 0.06 | 2.82 |
| Annual | $50,240 | $57,390 | $61,580 | $69,670 | $82,300 | $65,370 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $24.79 | $27.64 | $28.97 | $30.27 | $30.64 | $28.38 | 50 | 0.03 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $51,560 | $57,500 | $60,250 | $62,970 | $63,720 | $59,030 | ||||
| Idaho | Hourly | $23.08 | $26.80 | $27.70 | $28.69 | $30.18 | $27.54 | 140 | 0.16 | 8.26 |
| Annual | $48,010 | $55,730 | $57,620 | $59,670 | $62,780 | $57,290 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.58 | $23.57 | $27.24 | $28.25 | $30.18 | $25.74 | 320 | 0.02 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $36,570 | $49,030 | $56,670 | $58,770 | $62,780 | $53,540 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $21.22 | $23.25 | $24.91 | $29.14 | $30.09 | $26.11 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $44,130 | $48,360 | $51,810 | $60,610 | $62,600 | $54,300 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $17.73 | $18.32 | $21.42 | $25.30 | $29.21 | $22.31 | 330 | 0.05 | 2.71 |
| Annual | $36,880 | $38,100 | $44,550 | $52,620 | $60,760 | $46,400 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.58 | $23.57 | $27.24 | $28.25 | $30.18 | $25.74 | 320 | 0.02 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $36,570 | $49,030 | $56,670 | $58,770 | $62,780 | $53,540 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $16.18 | $16.63 | $17.72 | $24.23 | $30.68 | $20.63 | 200 | 0.04 | 2.03 |
| Annual | $33,660 | $34,600 | $36,850 | $50,390 | $63,820 | $42,910 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.16 | $27.59 | $29.61 | $33.50 | $39.57 | $31.43 | 200 | 0.06 | 2.82 |
| Annual | $50,240 | $57,390 | $61,580 | $69,670 | $82,300 | $65,370 | ||||
| Arkansas | Hourly | $13.00 | $18.94 | $20.36 | $20.66 | $25.40 | $20.01 | 190 | 0.15 | 7.43 |
| Annual | $27,050 | $39,390 | $42,340 | $42,980 | $52,830 | $41,630 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Longview-Kelso, WA | Hourly | $24.70 | $28.57 | $29.34 | $32.35 | $33.50 | $30.49 | 30 | 0.75 | 37.83 |
| Annual | $51,370 | $59,430 | $61,030 | $67,280 | $69,670 | $63,420 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Longview-Kelso, WA | Hourly | $24.70 | $28.57 | $29.34 | $32.35 | $33.50 | $30.49 | 30 | 0.75 | 37.83 |
| Annual | $51,370 | $59,430 | $61,030 | $67,280 | $69,670 | $63,420 | ||||
Top industries employing log graders and scalers
Sawmills and Wood Preservation employ 56.4% of log graders and scalers nationally (1,730 jobs) at a median $47,250 a year ($22.72 an hour), followed by Other Wood Product Manufacturing (17.6%) and Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing (9.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation NAICS 321100 | 1,730 | 56.4% | $47,250 | $22.72 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing NAICS 321900 | 540 | 17.6% | $42,490 | $20.43 |
| Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing NAICS 321200 | 300 | 9.8% | $45,280 | $21.77 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 150 | 4.9% | $49,440 | $23.77 |
| Logging NAICS 113300 | 120 | 3.9% | $63,820 | $30.68 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (3,070). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,820 for log graders and scalers in May 2021 and $46,330 in May 2025, with employment of 3,260 and 3,070.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,820 | $18.18 | 3,260 |
| May 2022 | $42,370 | $20.37 | 3,950 |
| May 2023 | $45,600 | $21.93 | 3,640 |
| May 2024 | $46,710 | $22.46 | 3,310 |
| May 2025 | $46,330 | $22.27 | 3,070 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
25 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $29.61 | $61,580 | $50,240 | $82,300 | 200 | 0.06 | 2.82 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $28.97 | $60,250 | $51,560 | $63,720 | 50 | 0.03 | 1.37 |
| 3 | Idaho profile | $27.70 | $57,620 | $48,010 | $62,780 | 140 | 0.16 | 8.26 |
| 4 | California profile | $27.24 | $56,670 | $36,570 | $62,780 | 320 | 0.02 | 0.90 |
| 5 | Michigan profile | $24.91 | $51,810 | $44,130 | $62,600 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.52 |
| 6 | Maine profile | $24.13 | $50,180 | $41,770 | $76,670 | 120 | 0.19 | 9.51 |
| 7 | Ohio profile | $23.90 | $49,710 | $38,030 | $80,290 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.29 |
| 8 | Mississippi profile | $23.08 | $48,010 | $31,850 | $54,960 | 130 | 0.12 | 5.79 |
| 9 | Louisiana profile | $22.84 | $47,510 | $21,960 | $52,000 | 90 | 0.05 | 2.41 |
| 10 | New Hampshire profile | $22.37 | $46,530 | $42,820 | $62,830 | 30 | 0.05 | 2.59 |
| 11 | Indiana profile | $22.19 | $46,160 | $37,320 | $65,510 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.95 |
| 12 | Wisconsin profile | $22.19 | $46,150 | $42,260 | $58,590 | 180 | 0.06 | 3.02 |
| 13 | Kentucky profile | $21.80 | $45,330 | $36,740 | $54,450 | 80 | 0.04 | 1.92 |
| 14 | Alabama profile | $21.61 | $44,950 | $35,270 | $58,880 | 100 | 0.05 | 2.44 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.42 | $44,550 | $36,880 | $60,760 | 330 | 0.05 | 2.71 |
| 16 | South Carolina profile | $21.33 | $44,370 | $30,750 | $51,250 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.91 |
| 17 | West Virginia profile | $20.69 | $43,040 | $36,750 | $48,360 | 90 | 0.12 | 6.14 |
| 18 | Arkansas profile | $20.36 | $42,340 | $27,050 | $52,830 | 190 | 0.15 | 7.43 |
| 19 | Georgia profile | $19.15 | $39,830 | $20,810 | $49,930 | 130 | 0.03 | 1.35 |
| 20 | Florida profile | $18.77 | $39,040 | $31,850 | $59,070 | 70 | 0.01 | 0.35 |
| 21 | Missouri profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $37,170 | $37,440 | 60 | 0.02 | 1.08 |
| 22 | North Carolina profile | $17.72 | $36,850 | $33,660 | $63,820 | 200 | 0.04 | 2.03 |
| 23 | Virginia profile | $17.41 | $36,220 | $30,610 | $50,730 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.99 |
| 24 | Texas profile | $17.36 | $36,100 | $34,990 | $40,670 | 40 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $17.27 | $35,920 | $28,730 | $56,160 | 110 | 0.03 | 1.69 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (45-4020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 45-4023 Log Graders and Scalers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 45-4023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 45-4023.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.