How to hire a lumber grader

How to hire a lumber grader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lumber grader hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lumber grader job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lumber grader
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a lumber grader, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a lumber grader to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a lumber grader that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of lumber graders.

   Type of Lumber Grader	Description	Hourly rate
   Lumber Grader	Logging workers harvest thousands of acres of forests each year. The timber they harvest provides the raw material for many consumer goods and industrial products.	$10-25
   Grader	A grader or lumber grader is an individual who works at a commercial establishment grading lumber, lumber yard, or sawmill. Lumber graders work with softwood and hardwood species for the identification of their grade, dimension, and any other qualities... Show more	$10-22

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Tape Measure
   • Production Reports
   • Hardwood
   • TPI
   • RAN
   • Wwpa
   • Quality Standards
   • Band Saws
   • Safety Committee
   • FIR
   • Individual Pieces
   • Equipment Maintenance

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide feedback on errors, manage records on blackboard and proctore during exams.
   • Grade lumber and run heavy equipment
   • Use electric sanders and planers.
   • Grade lumber according to WWPA rules.
   • Grade veneer as it come out of the dryers.
   • Grade for quality and stack veneer as it leaves the dryers.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lumber grader job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A lumber grader can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, lumber graders' average salary in louisiana is 49% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lumber graders 61% less than senior-level lumber graders.
   • Certifications. A lumber grader with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a lumber grader's salary.

   Average lumber grader salary

   $16.53hourly

   $34,386 yearly

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   Entry-level lumber grader salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

4. Writing a lumber grader job description

   A job description for a lumber grader role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lumber grader job description:

   Lumber grader job description example

   Since its inception in 1966, Besse Forest Products Group has grown from twelve employees to providing employment opportunities to hundreds of individuals across Northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

   Today, Besse Forest Products Group remains 100% family owned, and is recognized worldwide as the trusted name for the finest Northern hardwood veneer, green lumber, kiln-dried lumber, and specialty plywood.

   Lumber Grader Trainee

   Duties Include (but are not limited to):

   • Inspects and grades milled, rough sawed, or dimensional stock lumber in a safe and productive manner.

   • Examines lumber on table, moving belt, chain conveyor, or in racks for defects such as knots, stains, decay, splits, faulty edges, pitch pockets, wormholes, and defective milling.

   • Grades lumber to ensure NHLA specified dimensions.

   • Marks lumber to indicate grade and processing instructions.

   • Tallies pieces of lumber according to grade and board footage.

   • Determines cuts to be made to obtain highest marketable value from material.

   • Removes unsatisfactory pieces from conveyor or table and places pieces on stacks, in bins, or on carts.

   • Scales board footage and records results.

   • Pulls graded lumber into unit form.

   • Adheres to company safety procedures.

   In consideration of the opportunities outlined, we offer you the following benefits:

   • Wages starting from $18.50*

   • *Attendance Bonus

   • 1st Shift Position

   • Paid Holidays

   • Paid Vacation

   • Paid Time Off

   • 401(k) Plan with Employer Contribution

   • Health Insurance

   • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

   • Life Insurance

   • Prescription Drug Insurance

   • Short Term Disability Insurance

   • Opportunity for advancement.

   Job Type: Full-time

   Salary: $18.50 hour*

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right lumber grader for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with lumber graders they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit lumber graders who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lumber grader job on Zippia to find and recruit lumber grader candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit lumber graders, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lumber grader

   Once you've selected the best lumber grader candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lumber grader. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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