Wood processing operator

#50Declining

4/5

Key facts

−4.6%jobs, 2025 to 2035

United States

This job is declining in the United States. AI exposure: very low according to the ILO, low according to the BLS. Employment change in the United States by 2035: −4.6% (BLS). Future-proof jobs use similar skills: see "What next?".

The job

Wood processing plant operators (ISCO 8172). Wood processing plant operators monitor, operate and control lumber mill equipment for sawing timber logs into rough lumber, cutting veneer, making plywood and particle board, and otherwise preparing wood for further use.

Page built from official classifications (ILO, ESCO); figures cover all the jobs grouped here.

212 job titles linked to this page

Titles from the European ESCO classification. They are also used for search.

automated band saw operator
automated bandsaw operator
band saw operative
band saw operator
band saw sawyer
band saw specialist
band saw technician
band saw user
band saw worker
band scroll saw operator
band scroll saw specialist
band scroll saw technician
bandsaw operator
beam saw operator
beam saw specialist
beam saw technician
board saw operator
board saw specialist
board saw technician
chipper
chipper machine operator
chipper machine specialist
chipper machine technician
chipper operator
chipper specialist
chipper technician
circle saw operator
circle saw specialist
circle saw technician
circular saw operator
circular saw specialist
circular saw technician
CNC band saw operator
CNC bandsaw operator
CNC wood router operative
CNC wood router operator
CNC wood router setter
CNC wood routing machine operative
CNC wood routing machine operator
CNC wood routing machine setter
CNC wood routing machine tender
contour bandsaw operator
contour band saw operator
cross cut operator
cross-cut saw operator
cross-cut saw specialist
cross-cut saw technician
cross-cut sawyer
crosscut saw operator
crosscut saw specialist
crosscut saw technician
crosscut saw worker
crosscut sawyer
cut-off saw operator
cut-off saw specialist
cut-off saw technician
debarker
debarker operator
debarker specialist
debarker technician
debarking machine operator
debarking machine specialist
debarking machine technician
debarking machinist
debarking operator
debarking specialist
debarking technician
double-cut saw operator
engineered wood board gluing operator
engineered wood board gluing specialist
engineered wood board gluing technician
engineered wood board machine operator
engineered wood board machine specialist
engineered wood board machine technician
engineered wood board machine worker
engineered wood board machinist
engineered wood machine operator
engineered wood machine specialist
engineered wood machine technician
engineered wood press operator
engineered wood press specialist
engineered wood press technician
fibre board machine operator
fibre board machine specialist
fibre board machine technician
fibreboard machine operator
fibreboard machine specialist
fibreboard machine technician
head saw operator
head saw specialist
head saw technician
horizontal band saw operator
horizontal bandsaw operator
jointer operator
jointer specialist
jointer technician
log peeler
log peeler operator
log peeler specialist
log peeler technician
log peeling machine operator
log peeling machine specialist
log peeling machine technician
log peeling machinist
metal band saw operator
metal bandsaw operator
mitre saw operator
mitre saw specialist
mitre saw technician
over-and-under operator
over-and-under specialist
over-and-under technician
panel saw operator
panel saw specialist
panel saw technician
particle board machine operator
particle board machine specialist
particle board machine technician
particleboard machine operator
particleboard machine specialist
particleboard machine technician
planer operator
planer specialist
planer technician
planer thicknesser
planer thicknesser operator
planer thicknesser specialist
planer thicknesser technician
planer thicknesser worker
production saw operator
resaw operator
resaw specialist
resaw technician
sawbench operator
sawing machine operator
sawmill machine operator
sawmill operative
sawmill operator
sawmill supervisor
sawmill tender
sawmill worker
sawyer
table saw machine operative
table saw machine operator
table saw operative
table saw operator
table saw setter
table saw specialist
table saw technician
table saw tender
table saw worker
table sawyer
thickness operator
thickness planer operator
thickness planer specialist
thickness planer technician
thickness specialist
thickness technician
thicknesser operator
thicknesser specialist
thicknesser technician
timber band saw operator
timber bandsaw operator
timber machine operator
vaneer slicing machine operator
vaneer slicing machine specialist
vaneer slicing machine technician
veneer clipper operator
veneer clipper specialist
veneer clipper technician
veneer cutter
veneer cutter operator
veneer cutter specialist
veneer cutter technician
veneer lather operator
veneer lather specialist
veneer lather technician
veneer slicer operative
veneer slicer operator
veneer slicer specialist
veneer slicer technician
veneer slicer worker
vertical bandsaw operator
vertical band saw operator
wood carving machine operative
wood carving machine operator
wood carving machine setter
wood carving machine specialist
wood carving machine technician
wood carving machine tender
wood chipper
wood chipper operator
wood chipper specialist
wood chipper technician
wood fuel pelletiser
wood pellet machine operator
wood pellet machine specialist
wood pellet machine technician
wood pellet machine worker
wood pelletiser
wood pelletiser operator
wood pelletiser specialist
wood pelletiser technician
wood pelletiser worker
wood router
wood router operator
wood router specialist
wood router technician
wood routing machine operative
wood routing machine operator
wood routing machine setter
wood routing machine tender

What next?

Future-proof jobs that draw on skills close to this one. They are leads to explore, not an assessment of your profile.

ChangingWood treater
ChangingJoiner
ChangingCarpenter (framing)

Indicative matches: at launch they will come from the skills listed in official occupational directories.

Gauges

Risk 4/5 · High

AI exposureLowBLS AI exposure category "low" (2026), higher than the ILO 2025 index (very low)

Employment outlookSharp declineBLS, 2025-2035 projections (Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood; Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing; Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (+3))

Hiring difficultyNot availableNo US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job

PayModestBLS, 2025 median annual wage: $46,897

EntryQuickBLS, typical education needed for entry

No US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job: this gauge stays empty. How countries are compared

Sources

AI exposure categories and employment projections, 2025-2035 (XLSX file)Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States · August 2026 · official statistics
Generative AI and Jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposureInternational Labour Organization and NASK · May 2025 · large survey
ESCO, European classification of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations (job titles and O*NET crosswalk)European Commission · version 1.2 · official statistics
Jobs in 2030: projections by occupational family (summary table)Dares and France Stratégie · March 2022 · official statistics
Labour needs survey (BMO) 2026France Travail · 2026 · large survey
EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annexEuropean Labour Authority · June 2026 · official statistics

Checked on 27 October 2026.