Forestry and logging jobs in Canada: pay, camps, seasons, and how to get hired
A working guide to logging, sawmills, tree planting, and wildfire season across BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick: what jobs pay, how camp life actually works, how the season runs, and the realistic path in if you have no industry experience yet.
See the jobs hubKey facts
- Tree planter
- $150-250/day (estimate)
- Source: industry planning research
- Certified faller
- $350-500/day (estimate)
- Source: industry planning research
- Typical camp rotation
- 14/7
- Source: varies by employer
Pay snapshot
Forestry pay is mostly day-rate or piece-rate rather than a flat salary, and it swings a lot by role, region, and season. Tree planters are paid per tree; fallers and equipment operators are usually paid a day rate; mill workers are paid hourly year-round -- see the pay hub for the role-by-role breakdown.
- Tree planter
- $150-250/day
- estimate, not sourced
- Certified faller
- $350-500/day
- 2025 estimate, unconfirmed
- Typical camp rotation
- 14/7
- varies by employer
Camp life
Many logging and planting crews work out of remote camps -- anything from a bunkhouse with shared facilities to a modern camp with private rooms and Starlink internet, depending on how far the operation is from town. See the full camp life guide for what to actually expect.
Frequently asked questions
What does tree planting actually pay?
Most first-year planters land somewhere around $150-250/day -- an estimate, not a sourced figure (checked 2026-09-08) -- on a piece-rate (per-tree) system. Two real Canadian camps' own current pages put actual per-tree rates and season averages higher; see our planting pay guide for the sourced numbers and how per-tree pricing actually works.
What does a certified faller make in BC?
Roughly $350-500/day (2025 estimate, unconfirmed) once certified, though contractors who own their own saw and gear can do better. Certification itself (WorkSafeBC New Faller Training plus supervised experience) typically takes 6-24 months. See our jobs hub for the certification path.
Do I need experience to get a forestry job?
No -- planting crews, mill labourer roles, and camp services (cookhouse, cleaning) routinely hire with no prior experience. Equipment operator and faller roles require training and certification first. See our jobs hub for the realistic entry points.
How does fire season affect logging work?
Provincial fire bans and industry shutdown orders can pause harvesting for weeks at a time in dry summer conditions, and some crews shift over to wildfire suppression work instead (roughly $25-35/hour, 2025 estimate, unconfirmed) for the duration. See our seasons hub for how the calendar actually plays out.
Is online gambling legal in Alberta?
Yes -- Alberta residents 18 and older can use online gambling operators registered with the AGLC (Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis) or the government's own PlayAlberta.ca platform. Only AGLC-registered operators should be used; see our comparison page for the current list. Visitors in British Columbia, Quebec, and New Brunswick have a single government platform instead.
Off-shift entertainment
Some workers use off-shift downtime for regulated online gambling. If you do, only use operators registered in your own province -- see the regulated options by province, or pick your province below. BC, Quebec, and New Brunswick residents will see their province's own government platform instead, since that is the only regulated option there.
Regulated online gambling in Canada is province by province. Alberta and Ontario residents can compare AGLC- or AGCO/iGaming Ontario-registered operators directly; everywhere else, the only regulated option is your province's own government platform.
Off-shift only. Never gamble on company networks or devices. Please play responsibly. Gambling should be entertainment, not income.