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CanadaNOCGuide
NOC 94123TEER 4 ↗⚠ PNP & Work Permits Only🔄 Former NOC 2016: 9436↗

NOC 94123: Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders

Official definition · Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 · statcan.gc.ca ↗

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.

Median Pay$27.5/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 4PNP streams
Priority StreamGeneral StreamCategory draws
Official Titles32 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 94123

Select the duties you perform in your actual job. Under IRCC guidelines, you must perform at least 60% of these duties for a successful work permit or PR reference letter.

32 official aliases
Checklist (12 official duties):Click each to toggle
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IRCC Reference Letter Rule:

Your employer reference letter must confirm you performed the main actions described in the duties above. Avoid copying words directly from the NOC description — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 8 More
0%
0 of 12 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 94123, your employer letter should verify at least 8 main duties. Select 8 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed8 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 94123

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders is categorized under TEER 4. Occupations in this tier typically require secondary school graduation or job-specific on-the-job training.

Express Entry Alignment

Classified under TEER 4, meaning this occupation does not qualify for direct Express Entry general pools. Candidates should focus on employer-driven Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or federal pilot pathways.

Target Category Status

Currently evaluated under standard General and CEC invitation rounds, or targeted through provincial in-demand lists such as Ontario (OINP), British Columbia (BC PNP), or Alberta (AAIP).

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

Open Full NOC Converter Tool→

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, this occupation was mapped under the following 4-digit code(s). When preparing your Express Entry profile or work reference letters, you must use the new 5-digit code NOC 94123.

Former NOC 94364-Digit Legacy
Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders
VC1 - Code Change
Job Bank Open Data (2025/2026)

Regional Wages Across Canada

Legal Benchmark for LMIA

Under Canadian immigration law, an employer hiring you under an LMIA must pay you at least the median wage listed below for your province.

Province / TerritoryLow WageMedian WageHigh Wage
Canada (National Average)$20$27.5/hr$38
New Brunswick →$19.54/hr$24.08/hr$25.86/hr
Quebec →$18.96/hr$25/hr$33.75/hr
Ontario →$20.03/hr$24.78/hr$31.33/hr
Alberta →$27/hr$34.92/hr$44.33/hr
British Columbia →$22/hr$29/hr$38/hr

🏙️Top Metropolitan Cities Wage Rates (ESDC 2025/2026)

Economic Region Benchmarks

Official ESDC prevailing median wages across major Canadian metropolitan regions. Crucial for LMIA prevailing wage compliance and local job offer evaluations.

Montréal
$23.5/hr
$19.31 - $26.76
Vancouver
$29/hr
$24.34 - $33

Employment Requirements

These are the education, training, and certification standards usually required by Canadian employers for this occupation:

  • 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.

Official Job Titles for NOC 94123

32 Titles Listed

If your current job title matches any of these official examples, this NOC code is likely the right choice for your Express Entry reference letter:

grader - wood processinggrader tallyman/woman - wood processinglumber graderparticleboard grader - wood processingplywood graderplywood inspectorveneer graderwood measurerboard grader - wood processingflooring grader - wood processinggreen lumber graderinspector - wood processinglumber inspectorlumber markerpanel inspector - wood processingplaner grader - wood processingplaner mill grader - wood processingplywood and veneer matcher - wood processingplywood grader - wood processingplywood inspector - wood processingpole inspector - wood processingshake inspector - wood processingshingle inspector - wood processingstake grader - wood processingtie and timber inspectortreated pole tester - wood processingveneer and plywood grader - wood processingveneer grader - wood processingwood marker - wood processingwood measurer - wood processingwood processing graderwood processing inspector

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

Check this list to make sure your actual job is not classified under one of these related codes:

  • Forest products technologist (See 22100 Chemical technologists and technicians)View NOC 22100→
  • Log scaler (See 22112 Forestry technologists and technicians)View NOC 22112→
  • Production technologist - sawmill (See 22302 Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians)View NOC 22302→
  • Supervisors, forest products processing (See 92014 Supervisors, forest products processing)View NOC 92014→

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 94123 (Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders)

Essential answers regarding Express Entry eligibility, LMIA prevailing wage compliance, and official reference letter rules.

NOC 94123 is in TEER 4, which is not directly eligible for standard Express Entry pools. However, you can apply through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams or employer-sponsored work permits.
For an LMIA work permit, your employer must offer at least the median wage of $27.5/hr (or the prevailing median rate in your specific Canadian province of employment).
Under Section 75(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), your employment reference letter must confirm you perform the actions in the lead statement and a substantial number (recommended at least 60%) of the official main duties listed above. You do not need to perform 100% of the duties.
Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders was categorized under NOC 9436 (Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 94123 under TEER 4.
According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 94123 is $23.5/hr in Montréal, $29/hr in Vancouver.
Because TEER 4 is not eligible for direct Express Entry, your best routes are employer-supported Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams (such as SINP in Saskatchewan, AAIP in Alberta, or MPNP in Manitoba) or federal pilot programs like the Agri-Food Pilot.
Next Steps for NOC 94123

Check Your Express Entry Score & Latest Cutoffs

Calculate your exact Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for NOC 94123, explore your TEER 4 immigration pathways, and check recent draw cutoffs.

Calculate CRS Score →View Draw Trends →TEER 4 Guide →
NOC data: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0
Wages: ESDC Job Bank 2025/2026 Open Data
Last verified: September 2026