NOC 94123: Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders
What lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders do
Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders inspect and grade lumber, shingles, veneer, waferboard and similar wood products to identify defects, ensure conformance to company specifications and classify products according to industry standards. They are employed by sawmills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing companies.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Lumber graders
- Examine lumber visually for knots, holes, splits and other defects and sort for further drying, trimming or remanufacturing
- Measure lumber using callipers, gauges and tape measures to ensure specified thickness, length and width
- Classify and sort lumber according to industry standards and stamp lumber to indicate grade, wood type, moisture level and other characteristics
- Tally lumber
- Complete and maintain reports.
- Other wood processing inspectors and graders
- Inspect plywood panels, veneer sheets, panelboards, shingles and similar wood products visually for knots, holes, splits, straightness and other defects
- Mark defects and sort for repair or reprocessing
- Measure wood products to ensure conformance to specifications using standard measuring instruments
- Grade and label wood products according to quality standards
- Complete and maintain inspection and grading reports.
Job titles under NOC 94123
32 job titles are classified here, including grader - wood processing, grader tallyman/woman - wood processing, lumber grader.
- board grader - wood processing
- flooring grader - wood processing
- grader - wood processing
- grader tallyman/woman - wood processing
- green lumber grader
- inspector - wood processing
- lumber grader
- lumber inspector
- lumber marker
- panel inspector - wood processing
- particleboard grader - wood processing
- planer grader - wood processing
- planer mill grader - wood processing
- plywood and veneer matcher - wood processing
- plywood grader
- plywood grader - wood processing
- plywood inspector
- plywood inspector - wood processing
- pole inspector - wood processing
- shake inspector - wood processing
- shingle inspector - wood processing
- stake grader - wood processing
- tie and timber inspector
- treated pole tester - wood processing
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- On-the-job training and up to two weeks of classroom training are provided for lumber graders.
- Previous experience as a sawmill machine operator, other wood processing operator or as a labourer in wood processing is usually required for graders and inspectors in this unit group.
- Lumber graders require a lumber grader's licence issued by a provincial lumber association.
Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders 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 | $20.00/hr | $27.50/hr | $38.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $24.34/hr | $29.00/hr | $33.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $18.96/hr | $25.00/hr | $33.75/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $24.94/hr | $31.02/hr | $37.93/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
New Brunswick | $19.54/hr | $24.08/hr | $25.86/hr |
Quebec | $18.96/hr | $25.00/hr | $33.75/hr |
Ontario | $20.03/hr | $24.78/hr | $31.33/hr |
Alberta | $27.00/hr | $34.92/hr | $44.33/hr |
British Columbia | $22.00/hr | $29.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Using NOC 94123 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 32 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Forest products technologist (NOC 22100)
- Log scaler (NOC 22112)
- Production technologist - sawmill (NOC 22302)
- Supervisors, forest products processing (NOC 92014)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders?
Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders are NOC 2021 unit group 94123. Example job titles in this group include grader - wood processing, grader tallyman/woman - wood processing, lumber grader, particleboard grader - wood processing.
What TEER is NOC 94123?
NOC 94123 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. 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 lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $27.50/hr, about $54,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.00/hr to $38.00/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.