How to become a Timber and Wood Production Operator

Operates 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.

Main tasks

• 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

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Timber and Wood Products Operations (FWP30322); Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations (FWP20322); Certificate II in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology (MSF20322); Certificate III in Saw Technology (FWP31021)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $75,452 a year
• About 6,200 people work in this job group now, and about 6,200 are projected by 2035. (+0.8%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Related jobs

• Paper and Pulp Production Operator
• Industrial Spray Painter
• Sandblaster
• Reinforced Plastic and Composite Production Worker
• Plastics Fabricator or Welder
• Plastics Production Machine Operator

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Timber and Wood Production Operator?

Ways in include: Certificate III in Timber and Wood Products Operations; Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations.

How much does a Timber and Wood Production Operator earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $75,452 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Timber and Wood Production Operator a growing career in Australia?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 6,200 people now and 6,200 later (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Timber and Wood Production Operator?

Usually not. Only 3% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Timber and Wood Products Operations; Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations.

Will AI change the work of a Timber and Wood Production Operator?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04