NOC 94124: Woodworking machine operators
What woodworking machine operators do
Woodworking machine operators set up, program and operate one or more woodworking machines to fabricate or repair wooden parts for furniture, fixtures or other wood products. They are employed in furniture, fixture and other wood products manufacturing establishments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Set up, program and operate one or more computer numerically controlled (CNC) or manual woodworking machines such as saws, moulders, lathes, routers, planers, edgers, pressing machines, shapers, drills and sanders to fabricate or repair wooden parts for furniture, fixtures and other wood products
- Operate gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together or press and affix wood veneer to wood surfaces
- Operate preset special-purpose woodworking machines to fabricate wood products such as coat hangers, mop handles, clothes pins and other products
- Read and interpret specifications or follow verbal instructions
- May clean and lubricate equipment, and replace parts as necessary.
Job titles under NOC 94124
268 job titles are classified here, including boring machine operator - woodworking, computer numerically controlled (CNC) band saw operator, drill operator - woodworking.
- adzing and boring machine operator
- automatic nailing machine operator - woodworking
- automatic shaper operator - woodworking
- band resaw operator - woodworking
- band ripsaw operator - woodworking
- band saw operator - woodworking
- band saw tender - woodworking
- band scroll saw operator - woodworking
- banding machine tender - woodworking
- band-sawing machine tender - woodworking
- barrel assembler
- barrel cooper - woodworking
- barrel end machine tender - woodworking
- barrel end sawyer
- barrel heading sawyer
- basket machine operator - woodworking
- belt sander - woodworking
- belt sander operator - woodworking
- bench machine operator - woodworking
- billiard cue maker
- borer - woodworking
- boring machine operator - woodworking
- bowl blank boring and finishing machine operator
- box blank repairer - woodworking
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- On-the-job training is usually provided.
- Experience as a labourer in the same company may be required.
Woodworking machine 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 | $18.00/hr | $22.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $17.42/hr | $21.16/hr | $24.45/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $22.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $27.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $19.86/hr | $24.37/hr | $29.36/hr |
Edmonton AB | $18.93/hr | $24.92/hr | $29.28/hr |
Ottawa ON | $19.10/hr | $23.16/hr | $31.09/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $17.57/hr | $20.45/hr | $22.23/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $18.00/hr | $21.70/hr | $28.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $18.78/hr | $22.97/hr | $32.56/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $18.60/hr | $22.76/hr | $28.19/hr |
London ON | $18.48/hr | $21.44/hr | $26.95/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $18.42/hr | $24.93/hr | $29.13/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
New Brunswick | $18.02/hr | $21.22/hr | $25.11/hr |
Quebec | $18.00/hr | $21.70/hr | $28.00/hr |
Ontario | $18.75/hr | $22.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Manitoba | $16.70/hr | $19.67/hr | $21.12/hr |
Saskatchewan | $19.70/hr | $24.93/hr | $29.68/hr |
Alberta | $19.06/hr | $23.72/hr | $31.94/hr |
British Columbia | $22.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $36.00/hr |
Using NOC 94124 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 268 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Cabinetmakers (NOC 72311)
- Carpenters (NOC 72310)
- Woodworking machine operators supervisor - furniture and fixtures manufacturing (NOC 92022)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for woodworking machine operators?
Woodworking machine operators are NOC 2021 unit group 94124. Example job titles in this group include boring machine operator - woodworking, computer numerically controlled (CNC) band saw operator, drill operator - woodworking, drum sander - woodworking.
What TEER is NOC 94124?
NOC 94124 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 woodworking machine operators earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $22.00/hr, about $43,000 a year full-time, with a range of $18.00/hr to $32.00/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.