Job prospects Pulping Control Operator in British Columbia

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This job title belongs to an occupational group from the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which includes green jobs that contribute directly or indirectly to positive environmental outcomes (such as preservation, conservation and restoration). It does not mean that all positions with this job title are necessarily green jobs, but rather that they have the potential to be depending on their specific requirements. Learn more about Job Bank’s methodology for identifying green jobs.

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "pulping control operator" in British Columbia or across Canada.

Job opportunities in British Columbia

The recent trends from the past 3 years were updated on July 25, 2025. The job outlooks over the next 3 years were updated on December 10, 2025.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be Moderate for pulping, papermaking and coating control operators (NOC 93102) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment is expected to remain relatively stable.
• Several positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Increasing demand for green packaging and other specialty-use paper may provide some relief to the pulp industry despite falling demand for news and print. 

Employment in forestry-related professions has been declining year-over-year, and the industry faces several curtailments at wood manufacturing facilities. 

Stable job growth continues to be inhibited by difficulty accessing economic fibre, falling annual harvests, high U.S. duties and tariffs, and the impacts of extreme weather and wildfires, though the industry remains particularly important to rural and Indigenous communities. 

Provincial and federal funding for reforestation projects as well as support for wood manufacturing and mass timber may provide some employment opportunities.

Here are some key facts about pulping, papermaking and coating control operators in British Columbia:

• Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Paper manufacturing (NAICS 322): 94%
  • Wood product manufacturing (NAICS 321): 6%
• 80% of pulping, papermaking and coating control operators work all year, while 20% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 94% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 6% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 61% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 9% compared to 13% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 12% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 9% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in British Columbia by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology