Faller

O*NET: Fallers·45-4021.00

The Verdict:Tree felling demands hands-on chainsaw work in wild forests—uneven terrain, wind, defects require real-time human adaptation no robot matches. Core output is physical control of massive falling trees. AI aids planning or maintenance but cannot replace field execution. Labor shortages and steady wood demand bolster resilience over the next decade.

Resilience Score

/100

Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$54k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

-7.3%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 0 of 18 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
16 of 18 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 11% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

0exposed

2AI leverage

16human-essential

View all 18 tasks

AI Can Handle This0 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

No exposed tasks identified

AI Leverage2 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.

Mark logs for identification.

Human Advantage16 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.

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.

Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.

Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.

Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.

Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.

Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.

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.

Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.

Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.

Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.

Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons.

Secure steel cables or chains to logs for dragging by tractors or for pulling by cable yarding systems.

Load logs or wood onto trucks, trailers, or railroad cars, by hand or using loaders or winches.

Work as a member of a team, rotating between chain saw operation and skidder operation.

Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling.

Resilience Landscape

Faller lands in Stable, Lower Pay

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