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NOC 95103: Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing

Official definition ยท Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 ยท statcan.gc.ca โ†—

Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing carry out a variety of general labouring and routine wood processing activities and assist pulp mill and papermaking machine operators. They are employed by pulp and paper, and paper converting companies, sawmills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing companies.

Median Pay$24.13/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 5PNP streams
Priority StreamGeneral StreamCategory draws
Official Titles86 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 95103

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.

86 official aliases
Checklist (7 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 โ€” officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Scoreโš  Needs 5 More
0%
0 of 7 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 95103, your employer letter should verify at least 5 main duties. Select 5 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed5 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 95103

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing is categorized under TEER 5. Occupations in this tier typically require secondary school graduation or job-specific on-the-job training.

Express Entry Alignment

Classified under TEER 5, 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 Toolโ†’

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 95103.

Former NOC 96144-Digit Legacy
Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing
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)$18$24.13/hr$33.95
Newfoundland and Labrador โ†’$16/hr$18.21/hr$21.5/hr
Nova Scotia โ†’$16.5/hr$21/hr$32.08/hr
New Brunswick โ†’$17/hr$22.5/hr$27.08/hr
Quebec โ†’$18/hr$23.35/hr$30/hr
Ontario โ†’$17.6/hr$21/hr$30/hr
Manitoba โ†’$17.1/hr$21.27/hr$29.16/hr
Saskatchewan โ†’$17.85/hr$24.12/hr$33.53/hr
Alberta โ†’$20.72/hr$23/hr$32/hr
British Columbia โ†’$22/hr$32/hr$36/hr

Employment Requirements

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

  • Completion of secondary school is required by the pulp and paper industry and by other large employers.

Official Job Titles for NOC 95103

86 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:

beater operator helper - pulp and paperchip bin attendant - wood processingconveyor cleaner - pulp and papergreen wood chainman/woman - wood processinggrinder feeder - pulp and paperlabourer - pulp and paperlabourer - wood processinglumber straightener - wood processingplywood dryer feedersheeter helper - pulp and paperutility man/woman - pulp and paperbag-making machine tender helperbarking machine cleaner - wood processingbeater helper - pulp and paperbolt loader - sawmillbroke hustler - pulp and paperbrown stock washer helper - pulp and papercant loader - wood processingcar stacker - wood processingcarton-forming machine feederchain conveyor tender - sawmillchain conveyor tender - wood processingchainman/woman - wood processingchip dump operator - wood processingchip silo attendant - wood processingchip storage attendant - wood processingcoating machine helpercombiner machine helpercorrugator-operator helpercutter helper - pulp and paperdry chain offbearer - wood processingdry chainman/woman - wood processingfeeder - wood processingfifth hand - pulp and papergreen sorter - wood processinggreensaw offbearer - wood processinghand bundler - wood processinghand log peelerhandler - wood treatmenthog machine tender - wood processinghot plate press tender helperjack ladder tenderleverman/woman - wood processinglime kiln helper - pulp and paperlog deck tenderlog feederlog handlerlog transfer tenderlumber feeder - wood processinglumber handler - wood processinglumber salvager - wood processinglumber tailer - wood processinglumber tier - wood processingpaper converting labourerpaper sorter and counterpaper tube production helperpiler - wood processingplywood and veneer plant labourerpulp and paper labourerpulp-log recleanerpulp-washer helperrag checker - pulp and paperrag sorter - pulp and paperrecovery plant helper - pulp and paperrollerman/woman - wood processingsaw tailer - wood processingsawmill labourersawmill workerscrap piler - wood processingscreen cleaner - pulp and papershake packershingle trimmersixth hand - pulp and paperstacker - wood processingsupercalender helper - pulp and paperthrasher feedertimber-treating tank helpertransfer equipment tender - wood processingtransfer man/woman - wood processingtrimmer loader - wood processingveneer dryer feederwood chip unloaderwood processing labourerwood room labourer - pulp and paperwood-preserving plant laboureryard labourer - pulp and paper

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

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

  • Machine operators and related workers in pulp and paper production and wood processing and manufacturing (See 9412 Machine operators and related workers in pulp and paper production and wood processing and manufacturing)
  • Supervisors, forest products processing (See 92014 Supervisors, forest products processing)View NOC 92014โ†’

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 95103 (Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing)

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

NOC 95103 is in TEER 5, 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 $24.13/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, Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing was categorized under NOC 9614 (Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 95103 under TEER 5.
Because TEER 5 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 95103

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Calculate your exact Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for NOC 95103, explore your TEER 5 immigration pathways, and check recent draw cutoffs.

Last verified: September 2026