OSCA 731232

Timber and Wood Production Operator

Overview

  • Employed persons

    2,300

  • Employment status

    85.8% Full time

    14.1% Part time

  • Median age

    42 years

  • Employment by sex

    5.5% Female

    94.6% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    4.6%

  • Main employing industry

    Manufacturing

Indicator Timber and Wood Production Operator Total employment
Employed persons 2,300 12,049,400
Median age 42 years 40 years
Full-time share 85.8% 64.2%
Part-time share 14.1% 35.8%
Female employment share 5.5% 48.5%
Male employment share 94.6% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 4.6% 2.2%
Main employing industry Manufacturing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Timber and Wood Production Operators operate timber and wood production machinery to perform tasks such as cutting logs to standard sizes, veneer production and gluing, and testing and grading timber planks, woodchips, wooden boards and other wood products.

What the occupation involves

  • Coordinates the loading and unloading of logs onto equipment and conveyors
  • Operates timber and wood processing machines or plant equipment to strip, debark and prepare logs for processing
  • Operates machines and equipment such as saws, planers and sanders to process and cut logs and timber into desired sizes and shapes
  • Operates machines such as lathes and slicing machines to produce veneers, and laminates veneers using glue
  • Inspects, measures and grades planks and wood products to ensure they meet quality standards
  • Monitors the wood drying process, which may involve the use of kilns, to ensure the wood reaches the specific moisture content
  • Keeps records of timber and wood products processed, equipment maintenance schedules, and any production issues encountered

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Timber and Wood Production Operator Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Manufacturing 61.7% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Construction 7.1% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 6.0% Construction 8.9%
    Wholesale Trade 5.8% Education and Training 8.8%
    Retail Trade 2.7% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 1.2% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.9% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 0.6% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Mining 0.3% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.2% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      27.5%

    • Victoria

      22.2%

    • Queensland

      24.9%

    • South Australia

      9.7%

    • Tasmania

      6.4%

    • Northern Territory

      0.0%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      0.6%

    Timber and Wood Production Operator Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 640 27.5% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 520 22.2% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 580 24.9% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 230 9.7% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 200 8.5% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 150 6.4% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 0 0.0% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 20 0.6% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Timber and Wood Production Operator

    Total employment

    Age group Timber and Wood Production Operator Total employment
    15–24 years 13.9% 14.3%
    25–34 years 21.9% 22.7%
    35–44 years 18.3% 22.3%
    45–54 years 21.6% 20.4%
    55–64 years 19.1% 15.3%
    65–74 years 4.9% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.2% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Timber and Wood Production Operator Total employment
    Female 5.5% 48.5%
    Male 94.6% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

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      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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