Other wood processing machine operators
Occupation · NOC 2021 94129 · Canada
- NOC 2021 code
- 94129
- TEER
- 4
- Positions on positive LMIAs, all lists
- 32
- Median wage, Canada
- C$25.72 per hour
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 98
OC<CANOTHER<WOOD<PROCESSING<MACHINE<OPERATOR 941297<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<4
About this occupation
Other wood processing machine operators operate and tend wood processing equipment and machines to remove bark from logs, produce wood chips, preserve and treat wood, and produce waferboards, particleboards, hardboards, insulation boards, plywood, veneers and similar wood products. They are employed in sawmills, woodrooms of pulp mills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing plants.
Example job titles
- barker operator
- chipper operator
- lumber kiln operator
- particleboard line operator
- plywood panel assembler
- timber treating tank operator
- veneer dryer tender
- veneer lathe operator
- waferboard press operator
- wood treater operator
Main duties
- This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Operate and tend various wood processing equipment and machines to remove bark, knots and dirt from logs; reduce logs or sawmill waste into wood chips or flakes; stack and band lumber; screen wood chips; and produce waferboards, particleboards, hardboards and insulation boards
- Operate and tend conveyors, lathes, sanding machines and other equipment to peel and slice veneer from logs and log sections, and to glue, press, trim, sand and splice veneer sheets
- Operate and tend kilns, treating tanks and other equipment to dry lumber and other wood products, and to treat chemically and impregnate wood products with preservatives
- Observe equipment, panel indicators, video monitors, and other instruments to detect malfunctions and ensure that processes are operating according to specifications
- Assemble plywood panels and repair plywood and veneer mechanically or manually
- Start up, shut down, set up, adjust and assist in maintaining processing equipment and machines as required
- Complete and maintain production reports.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Several weeks of on-the-job training are provided.
- For lumber kiln operators, particleboard operators and waferboard operators, some combination of college or company courses and up to one year of on-the-job training may be required.
- Previous experience as a labourer in wood processing may be required.
Temporary foreign worker positions (LMIA)
Positions on positive LMIAs in ESDC employer lists, by year of the list.
Approved positions by year
Data table
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 10 |
- XYLO-CARBONE INC.8
- Placages Lignum inc4
- Placages Beaulac Inc3
- RK DOORS INC3
- 54 Reman INC.2
- RIP-O-BEC INC2
- 2639-1862 Québec INC (Planchers de bois franc Wickham)2
- Les Planchers des Appalaches Lté2
- White River Forest Products LP2
- Produits Forestiers R. Perron Ltée2
- Fabridor1
- Harwood Lumber LTD1
Work permits
Work permit holders by year the permit took effect, mapped from NOC 2016 where the code has a single NOC 2021 successor (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP permits | IMP permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 10 |
All work permits by year
Data table
| 2023 | 10 |
Wages
Median wage by province and territory (2025 release). Hourly unless marked per year.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | C$17.50 | C$25.72 | C$37.00 |
| Alberta | C$27.69 | C$35.07 | C$40.94 |
| British Columbia | C$26.25 | C$33.13 | C$42.73 |
| Manitoba | C$20.58 | C$25.02 | C$30.99 |
| New Brunswick | C$20.50 | C$25.54 | C$30.32 |
| Ontario | C$18.06 | C$22.85 | C$35.13 |
| Quebec | C$20.00 | C$27.50 | C$46.00 |
| Saskatchewan | C$19.80 | C$27.65 | C$33.96 |
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 98
- Vacancies advertised
- 186
- Median advertised minimum hourly wage
- C$24.97
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