NOC 85120: Logging and forestry labourers
What logging and forestry labourers do
Logging and forestry labourers perform a variety of manual tasks such as attaching choker cables to logs, planting trees, clearing brush, spraying chemicals, cleaning up landing areas and assisting other workers in woodlands operations. They are employed by logging companies and contractors.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Assist other workers at logging sites
- Attach chokers or cables to felled trees for yarding
- Plant trees using manual tools
- Spray herbicides from the ground using manual spraying equipment
- Clear trails through woodlands using chain saws
- Clean up landing areas at logging sites.
Job titles under NOC 85120
21 job titles are classified here, including chokerman/woman, forestry labourer, logging labourer.
- boom man/woman
- boom worker
- boom worker - logging
- boom worker - mill pond
- cable hooker - logging
- choke setter - logging
- chokerman/woman
- chokerman/woman - logging
- forestry labourer
- log driver
- log rider
- logging and forestry labourer
- logging labourer
- pondman/woman
- pulpwood piler
- river driver
- seasonal swamper - logging
- seasonal swamper - logging forestry
- seasonal tree planter
- sprayer - logging and forestry
- swamper - logging and forestry
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school may be required.
- Completion of pre-employment safety courses may be required.
- Several weeks of formal and on-the-job training are provided.
- Workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) certificate may be required.
- Chemicals application licence may be required.
Logging and forestry labourers 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 | $19.37/hr | $28.71/hr | $47.50/hr |
Toronto ON | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $20.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $21.00/hr | $32.91/hr | $50.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $19.77/hr | $30.00/hr | $45.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $19.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $20.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $19.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $20.00/hr | $27.69/hr | $40.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $19.00/hr | $25.50/hr | $45.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $25.00/hr | $36.82/hr | $54.50/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $20.05/hr | $45.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $17.00/hr | $22.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Quebec | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Ontario | $20.00/hr | $28.71/hr | $45.00/hr |
Manitoba | $18.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $17.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $45.00/hr |
Alberta | $19.77/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
British Columbia | $21.60/hr | $33.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Using NOC 85120 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 21 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)
- Logging machinery operators (NOC 83110)
- Silviculture and forestry workers (NOC 84111)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for logging and forestry labourers?
Logging and forestry labourers are NOC 2021 unit group 85120. Example job titles in this group include chokerman/woman, forestry labourer, logging labourer, seasonal tree planter.
What TEER is NOC 85120?
NOC 85120 is TEER 5 (Short work demonstration). Usually requires a short work demonstration and no formal education. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do logging and forestry labourers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $28.71/hr, about $56,000 a year full-time, with a range of $19.37/hr to $47.50/hr.
Related occupations
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.