NOC 94143: Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
What testers and graders, food and beverage processing do
Testers and graders in food and beverage processing test or grade ingredients and finished food or beverage products to ensure conformance to company standards. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, fish plants, meat plants, breweries and other food and beverage processing plants.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Take samples of products at various stages of processing
- Examine ingredients or finished products by sight, touch, taste and smell or weigh materials to ensure conformance to company standards
- Conduct routine tests for product specifications such as colour, alcohol content, carbonation, moisture content, temperature, fat content and packaging
- Grade or sort raw materials or finished products
- Ensure hygiene and sanitation practices conform to policies and regulations
- Advise supervisors of ingredient or product deficiencies.
Job titles under NOC 94143
66 job titles are classified here, including beef grader, beer tester, cheese grader.
- bacon grader
- beef grader
- beer bottling line quality control tester
- beer tester
- beverage and bottle inspector
- beverage inspector
- bread tester
- brewery tester - food and beverage processing
- butter grader
- butterfat tester
- can inspector - food and beverage processing
- candy inspector
- canned and bottled foods inspector
- capon grader - food and beverage processing
- casing grader - food and beverage processing
- cheese grader
- cigar grader
- cigarette grader
- cigarette tester
- cookie and cracker tester
- cream grader
- dairy cream tester
- dairy grader - food and beverage processing
- dairy moisture tester
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Experience as a machine operator or labourer in the food or beverage processing industry may be required.
- On-the-job training is usually provided.
Testers and graders, food and beverage processing 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 | $17.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $23.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $19.19/hr | $24.31/hr | $29.88/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $20.90/hr | $26.15/hr | $35.49/hr |
Calgary AB | $19.01/hr | $25.16/hr | $31.75/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $19.24/hr | $22.17/hr | $38.06/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $22.00/hr | $25.78/hr | $34.22/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $18.44/hr | $24.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $30.40/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $22.23/hr | $25.29/hr | $35.22/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $20.04/hr | $23.67/hr | $29.02/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $17.88/hr | $21.88/hr | $25.29/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $21.40/hr | $25.96/hr |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | $21.40/hr | $25.96/hr |
Quebec | $22.00/hr | $25.78/hr | $34.22/hr |
Ontario | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Manitoba | $16.88/hr | $24.46/hr | $35.51/hr |
Saskatchewan | $18.93/hr | $23.36/hr | $27.91/hr |
Alberta | $16.75/hr | $23.90/hr | $31.60/hr |
British Columbia | $21.35/hr | $26.56/hr | $34.14/hr |
Using NOC 94143 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 66 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Agricultural and fish products inspectors (NOC 22111)
- Food processing quality control technician (NOC 22100)
- Food processing quality control technologist (NOC 22100)
- Supervisors, food and beverage processing (NOC 92012)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for testers and graders, food and beverage processing?
Testers and graders, food and beverage processing are NOC 2021 unit group 94143. Example job titles in this group include beef grader, beer tester, cheese grader, fish grader.
What TEER is NOC 94143?
NOC 94143 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 testers and graders, food and beverage processing earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $25.00/hr, about $49,000 a year full-time, with a range of $17.00/hr to $34.00/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.