Sawmill machine operators

NOC

94120

operate automated lumbermill equipment to saw timber logs into rough lumber, and to saw, trim and plane rough lumber into finished lumber.

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Full NOC Description

Sawmill machine operators operate, monitor and control automated lumbermill equipment to saw timber logs into rough lumber; saw, trim and plane rough lumber into dressed lumber of various sizes; and saw or split shingles and shakes. They are employed in sawmills and planing mills.

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Operate front-end loaders and stationary deck cranes to feed logs into the sawmill

Examine logs and rough lumber to determine size, condition, quality and other characteristics to decide best lumber cuts to carry out, or use automated equipment to convey logs through laser scanners which determine the most productive and profitable cutting patterns

Operate automated lumbermill from control rooms or consoles to saw logs into rough lumber; saw, trim and plane rough lumber into dressed lumber of various sizes; and saw or split shingles and shakes

Start conveyor system to move logs and lumber to and from saws

Set up and adjust saw equipment and replace blades or bands using wrenches, gauges and other hand tools

Operate equipment to sort and stack lumber by length and thickness, move stacks to storage areas or drying kilns, and feed lumber through planers

Monitor movement of lumber and computer screens to ensure cuts are made according to specifications, and print production reports

Clean and lubricate sawmill equipment.

Also Known As

circular saw operator
edgerman/woman
head sawyer
log cut-off operator
planer operator

resaw operator

shake splitter

trimmerman/woman

Requirements

Employment Requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.

College courses in wood processing technology may be required.

Several weeks of on-the-job training are usually provided.

Head sawyers and planer operators usually require several years of experience in other sawmill machine operating positions in the same company.

A certificate in industrial first aid may be required.

Provincial Regulation

Not Provincially Regulated

Employment by Sex

The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.

Data legend

6.6%

Female

93.4%

Male

Employment by age

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.

Data legend

6.3%

15-24

17.2%

25-34

21.9%

35-44

18.8%

45-54

28.1%

55-64

7.8%

65+

Employment by highest level of education

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.

Data legend

27.9%

No Certificate, Diploma or Degree

50.8%

High School, Diploma or Equivalent

8.2%

Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma

0.0%

College or University Below Bachelor Level

0.0%

University - Bachelor Level or Above

Employment by Industry

The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.

Data legend

91.8%

Manufacturing

N/A

8.2%

All Other Industries

Employment by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.

Data legend

21.70%

Northeast

11.70%

Southeast

11.70%

Southwest

23.30%

Central

31.70%

Northwest

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Average Salary by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the average salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Data legend

$42,000

Northeast

N/A

Southeast

$60,000

Southwest

$68,000

Central

$54,000

Northwest

Economic Regions

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Salary

The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

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