NOC 2021 · 94121 · TEER 4
Pulp mill, papermaking and finishing machine operators
Unit group 94121 of the National Occupational Classification, 2021 Version 1.0.
Check which category draws this code qualifies for
What this group covers
Pulp mill and papermaking and finishing machine operators operate and monitor various types of processing machinery and equipment to produce pulp and assist papermaking and coating control operators to produce, coat and finish paper. They are employed by pulp and paper companies.
Example job titles
As Statistics Canada publishes them. Yours may be worded differently and still belong here.
- acid maker - pulp and paper
- assistant bleacher operator - pulp and paper
- assistant coating operator - pulp and paper
- assistant digester operator - pulp and paper
- baler - pulp and paper
- balerman/woman - pulp and paper
- baling press tender - pulp and paper
- batch digester operator
- batch process cook - pulp and paper
- beater operator - pulp and paper
- bleach boiler tender
- bleach field operator - pulp and paper
- bleach stock preparation operator - pulp and paper
- bleacher operator - pulp and paper
- bleacher tender - pulp and paper
- blow pit tender - pulp and paper
- breaker - pulp and paper
- breaker tender - pulp and paper
- breakerman/woman - pulp and paper
- broke beater tender - pulp and paper
- brown stock operator - pulp and paper
- brown stock washer - pulp and paper
- calender man/woman - pulp and paper
- calender operator - pulp and paper
- calenderer - pulp and paper
- causticizer operator
- centri-cleaner tender - pulp and paper
- chemical liquor preparation operator - pulp and paper
- chemical pulping plant operator - pulp and paper
- chemical solutions operator - pulp and paper
- chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) machine assistant operator
- chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) operator
- chemi-wash operator - pulp and paper
- combiner machine operator - paper mill
- continuous digester operator - pulp and paper
- continuous process cook - pulp and paper
- cook - pulp and paper
- cook's first helper - pulp and paper
- core cutter and reamer - pulp and paper
- core cutter and reamer
- crimping head operator - papermaking
- decker operator - pulp and paper
- decker tender - pulp and paper
- deckerman/woman - pulp and paper
- digester cook - pulp and paper
- digester field operator
- digester operator - pulp and paper
- digester tender - pulp and paper
- embossing calender operator - pulp and paper
- evaporator tender - pulp and paper
- field operator - pulp and paper
- filter operator - pulp and paper
- finisher - pulp and paper
- fourdrinier machine operator - pulp and paper
- fourth hand - pulp and paper
- grader - pulp and paper
- graderman/woman - pulp and paper
- grinder loader - pulp and paper
- grinder operator - pulp and paper
- grinderman/woman - pulp and paper
- insulation board dryer tender
- kiln-recaust operator - pulp and paper
- label operator - papermaking
- laminating machine operator - paper mill
- lime kiln operator - pulp and paper
- lime sludge mixer
- liquor maker - pulp and paper
- mixing operator - pulp and paper
- packer-wrapper attendant - papermaking
- paper grader
- paper jogger operation - pulp and paper
- paper machine back tender
- paper machine hand
- paper machine operator
- paper machine second hand
- paper machine winder
- paper pulp tester
- paper roll finisher - pulp and paper
- paper roll wrapper - pulp and paper
- paper-coating machine operator
- paper-finishing machine operator
- papermaking and finishing machine operator
- processed paper rewinder
- pulp and paper size maker
- pulp bleach liquor maker
- pulp cook
- pulp dryer operator
- pulp grader
- pulp maker
- pulp mill equipment operator
- pulp mill machine operator
- pulp press tender
- pulp pressman/woman - pulp and paper
- pulp refiner operator - pulp and paper
- pulp tester - pulp and paper
- pulp washer operator - pulp and paper
- pulp washer operator
- pulp washer
- pulpwood products tester
- rag stock bleacher
- recovery operator - pulp and paper
- refiner - pulp and paper
- refiner man/woman - pulp and paper
- refiner operator - pulp and paper
- repulper operator
- rewinder - pulp and paper
- rewinder tender - pulp and paper
- roll finisher - paper
- roll wrapper - paper
- salvage winder operator - papermaking
- screen room operator - pulp and paper
- screen tender - pulp and paper
- screenman/woman - pulp and paper
- sheet paper inspector
- sheet paper sampler
- sheeter operator - pulp and paper
- specialty rewinder operator - papermaking
- stock tester - pulp and paper
- stock washer - pulp and paper
- supercalender operator - pulp and paper
- tall oil operator
- thermomechanical pulp assistant operator
- thermomechanical pulp operator
- third hand - pulp and paper
- unbleached pulp washer - pulp and paper
- washerman/woman - pulp and paper
- washing-screening operator - pulp and paper
- winder operator - pulp and paper
- winderman/woman - pulp and paper
- wood pulp caustic liquor maker
- wrapline operator - papermaking
What it pays, and where it is hiring
Job Bank publishes a wage estimate and a three-year employment outlook for each occupation, region by region. Both are below as published — where an estimate is missing from the source it is missing here too, because the alternative is inventing one.
Across Canada
$32.01 an hour
Low $22.00, high $45.50
Where it pays most
- Banff--Jasper--Rocky Mountain House · Alberta$49.53
- Edmonton · Alberta$42.55
- Cariboo · British Columbia$40.44
- Fredericton--Oromocto · New Brunswick$39.74
- Saint John--St. Stephen · New Brunswick$39.00
Economic regions only. A province’s figure is an average over the regions inside it, so including one would rank a province above its own best region and read as a finding.
By province and territory
| Where | Median hourly | Low to high | Outlook 2025–2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $35.00 | $22.00 – $42.00 | Undetermined |
| Prince Edward Island | Not published | Not published | Undetermined |
| Nova Scotia | $30.13 | $22.91 – $37.20 | Limited |
| New Brunswick | $35.00 | $31.00 – $42.00 | Moderate |
| Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Moderate |
| Ontario | $24.94 | $19.00 – $40.00 | Limited |
| Manitoba | $32.00 | $22.00 – $42.00 | Moderate |
| Saskatchewan | Not published | Not published | Undetermined |
| Alberta | $47.71 | $34.04 – $58.42 | Moderate |
| British Columbia | $38.00 | $26.96 – $47.98 | Moderate |
| Yukon Territory | Not published | Not published | Undetermined |
| Northwest Territories | Not published | Not published | Undetermined |
| Nunavut | Not published | Not published | Undetermined |
By economic region
The 38 economic regions where Job Bank publishes a wage or a rated outlook, of 72.
| Where | Province | Median hourly | Low to high | Outlook 2025–2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Coast--Northern Peninsula--Labrador | Newfoundland and Labrador | $37.78 | $31.61 – $48.49 | Undetermined |
| Cape Breton | Nova Scotia | $32.40 | $24.25 – $37.31 | Limited |
| North Shore | Nova Scotia | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Annapolis Valley | Nova Scotia | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Southern | Nova Scotia | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Campbellton--Miramichi | New Brunswick | $37.17 | $27.96 – $42.59 | Undetermined |
| Moncton--Richibucto | New Brunswick | Not published | Not published | Moderate |
| Saint John--St. Stephen | New Brunswick | $39.00 | $32.00 – $47.50 | Moderate |
| Fredericton--Oromocto | New Brunswick | $39.74 | $28.78 – $48.50 | Moderate |
| Edmundston--Woodstock | New Brunswick | $38.58 | $28.24 – $45.24 | Undetermined |
| Bas-Saint-Laurent | Quebec | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Capitale-Nationale | Quebec | Not published | Not published | Moderate |
| Estrie | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Moderate |
| Centre-du-Québec | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Good |
| Montérégie | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Moderate |
| Montréal | Quebec | $32.07 | $24.45 – $35.70 | Limited |
| Laval | Quebec | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Lanaudière | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Limited |
| Laurentides | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Moderate |
| Outaouais | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Moderate |
| Mauricie | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Moderate |
| Saguenay--Lac-Saint-Jean | Quebec | $32.25 | $25.85 – $46.00 | Limited |
| Côte-Nord | Quebec | Not published | Not published | Good |
| Nord-du-Québec | Quebec | Not published | Not published | Good |
| Kingston--Pembroke | Ontario | $24.94 | $19.00 – $40.00 | Moderate |
| Toronto | Ontario | $24.94 | $19.00 – $40.00 | Limited |
| Hamilton--Niagara Peninsula | Ontario | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Northeast | Ontario | $24.94 | $19.00 – $40.00 | Limited |
| Northwest | Ontario | Not published | Not published | Limited |
| Parklands | Manitoba | Not published | Not published | Moderate |
| North | Manitoba | Not published | Not published | Moderate |
| Banff--Jasper--Rocky Mountain House | Alberta | $49.53 | $35.24 – $61.41 | Moderate |
| Edmonton | Alberta | $42.55 | $28.90 – $50.39 | Undetermined |
| Athabasca--Grande Prairie--Peace River | Alberta | Not published | Not published | Moderate |
| Vancouver Island and Coast | British Columbia | $38.00 | $26.96 – $47.98 | Moderate |
| Lower Mainland | British Columbia | Not published | Not published | Good |
| Kootenay | British Columbia | Not published | Not published | Moderate |
| Cariboo | British Columbia | $40.44 | $38.00 – $48.00 | Moderate |
Job Bank rates employment prospects for each occupation in each economic region from very good to very limited over 2025–2027, and says “undetermined” where it has not got enough to rate. It is an assessment of prospects, not a count of vacancies.
The estimates on this page come from Labour Force Survey (2023-2024) · Small Area Estimation (2024).
Job Bank publishes an estimate for 24,364 of the 44,376 occupation-and-place pairs in this release. The rest are suppressed rather than modelled, and appear here as not published.
Wage estimates from the 2025 Wages release, revised 19 November 2025; employment outlooks from 2025-2027 Employment Outlooks - NOC 2021, released 8 December 2025. Both are updated annually. Estimates for different regions come from different surveys, so comparing two regions is exactly as sound as Job Bank’s own regional comparison and no more.
Source: Statistics Canada — National Occupational Classification 2021 V1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada — Job Bank wages; Employment and Social Development Canada — Job Bank 3-year employment outlooks. Data current as of 13 August 2026. NOC 2021 Version 1.0. The classification is versioned rather than dated — IRCC moved to it in November 2022, and a new version would be a new classification rather than an update.