NOC 83110: Logging machinery operators
What logging machinery operators do
Logging machinery operators operate cable yarding systems, mechanical harvesters and forwarders and mechanical tree processors and loaders to fell, yard and process trees at logging sites. They are employed by logging companies and contractors.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Cable yarding system operators
- Operate machines to transport trees from logging areas to landing or log loading sites in mountainous terrain in western Canada.
- Mechanical harvester and forwarder operators
- Assess site and terrain and drive heavy equipment to perform a combination of felling, slashing, bucking, bunching and forwarding operations at logging areas.
- Mechanical tree processor and loader operators
- Operate a variety of machines which perform a combination of slashing, bucking, chipping, sorting and loading logs or trees at landing sites.
Job titles under NOC 83110
46 job titles are classified here, including chipping machine operator, delimber operator, feller buncher operator.
- bunk skidder operator
- cable yarding operator
- cable yarding system operator
- chipping machine operator
- chipping machine operator - logging
- crane and claw operator - logging
- delimber and buncher operator
- delimber operator
- feller buncher operator
- feller delimber operator
- feller forwarder operator
- forwarder operator - logging
- grapple loader operator - logging
- grapple operator - logging
- grapple yarder operator - logging
- linehorse operator
- loader operator - logging
- log loader operator
- log loading machine operator
- log process operator
- log processor operator
- logging crane operator
- logging machinery operator
- logging truck loader
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school may be required.
- On-the-job training from three to 16 months is provided, depending on the complexity of machinery operated and the type of woodlands operation.
- Experience requirements vary depending on the complexity of machinery operated.
- Mechanical harvester and forwarder operators may require logging experience as a chain saw and skidder operator.
- Feller buncher operators and cable yarder operators usually require three to five years of logging experience.
- Mechanical tree processor and loader operators usually require one to three years of logging experience.
- Certification as a heavy equipment operator may be required.
- Company certification for mobile logging machinery operation may be required.
- Provincial air brake certification may be required in British Columbia, depending on the type of equipment operated.
- Workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) and first aid certificates may be required.
- Knowledge of tree harvesting regulations is required.
Logging machinery operators wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $22.00/hr | $32.00/hr | $40.78/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $29.54/hr | $35.91/hr | $45.27/hr |
Calgary AB | $24.62/hr | $31.95/hr | $41.36/hr |
Edmonton AB | $24.23/hr | $33.64/hr | $40.73/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $24.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $30.00/hr | $40.00/hr | $42.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $20.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $33.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $33.00/hr |
Quebec | $24.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Ontario | $25.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $35.88/hr |
Manitoba | $20.12/hr | $25.93/hr | $39.01/hr |
Saskatchewan | $25.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Alberta | $30.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $42.00/hr |
British Columbia | $30.00/hr | $37.13/hr | $45.00/hr |
Using NOC 83110 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 46 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Chain saw and skidder operators (NOC 84110)
- Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400)
- Silviculture and forestry workers (NOC 84111)
- Supervisors, logging and forestry (NOC 82010)
- Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for logging machinery operators?
Logging machinery operators are NOC 2021 unit group 83110. Example job titles in this group include chipping machine operator, delimber operator, feller buncher operator, feller forwarder operator.
What TEER is NOC 83110?
NOC 83110 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do logging machinery operators earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $32.00/hr, about $62,000 a year full-time, with a range of $22.00/hr to $40.78/hr.
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.