How Much Does a Lumberjack Make?

Salary

An estimated 6,260 lumberjacks worked in the United States, as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary was $34,470 per year. The 25th percentile earned $26,800 per year and the 75th percentile earned $45,630 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,780 per year and the highest 10 percent earned more than $66,140 per year.

Some of these professionals earn hourly wages. The median hourly wage was $16.57 per hour. The 25th percentile earned $12.89 per hour and the 75th percentile earned $21.94 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $10.47 per hour and the highest 10 percent earned more than $31.80 per hour.

Lumberjacks work in industries such as sawmills, environmental services, groundskeeping services and government agencies. The highest levels of employment of lumberjacks were in the logging industry, where the average salary was $38,340 per year or $18.43 per hour. Sawmills paid an average salary of $33,550 per year or $16.13 per hour and local government agencies paid an average salary of $39,170 or $19.09 per hour.

Only 22 states in the U.S. employed lumberjacks, according to the bureau. Most lumberjacks work in areas rich with forests. The highest levels of employment of lumberjacks were in Mississippi, where the average salary was $25,780 per year or $12.39 per hour. The highest wages were in Oregon, California, Idaho, South Carolina and Virginia. In Oregon, the average salary was $53,440 per year or $25.69 per hour, and, in California, the average salary was $52,750 per year or $25.36 per hour. In Idaho, the average salary was $51,430 per year or $24.72 per hour, and, in South Carolina, the average salary was $41,810 per year or $20.10 per hour.