How to become a forestry equipment operator
Official title: Forestry equipment operator
Also called: Machine operator, Log loader operator, Skidder operator, Harvester operator, Loader operator, Processor operator
Forestry equipment operators drive, operate and maintain machines used for harvesting trees, processing logs, loading vehicles, forest clearing and road construction.
Main tasks
- Operate forestry machinery and equipment
- Cut trees and logs
- Load logs onto trucks
- Clear trees and vegetation from work areas
- Inspect forestry equipment
- Maintain forestry machinery and equipment
- Communicate with forestry workers
- Drive forestry vehicles around work sites
How to become one
You usually train on the job to become a forestry equipment operator and experience or a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Required: to be over 16 years old. Other requirements: to do an apprenticeship in forestry; experience in similar work; a driver licence; a Wheels, Track and Rollers Course (WTR) Endorsement; experience driving tracked vehicles, diggers or bulldozers; to pass a drug test.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in forestry. TEC links this job to study in forestry studies. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Forest Harvesting Operations. Usually 12 months to 2 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $83,000 a year one year after study and $78,000 five years after; 100% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $63,000 to $111,000 a year (median $83,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $143,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 460 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Viticulturist
- Forest manager
- Grounds maintenance supervisor
- Gardener and groundskeeper
- Pesticide handler
- Log scaler and quality controller
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a forestry equipment operator?
You usually train on the job to become a forestry equipment operator and experience or a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Required: to be over 16 years old. Other requirements: to do an apprenticeship in forestry; experience in similar work; a driver licence; a Wheels, Track and Rollers Course (WTR) Endorsement; experience driving tracked vehicles, diggers or bulldozers; to pass a drug test.
How much does a forestry equipment operator earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $83,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $63,000 to $111,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a forestry equipment operator grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026