How To Become A Planer Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a planer operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A planer operator is a worker that runs a planer, which is a machine that trims wooden boards into consistent thicknesses and lengths. They usually work in factories that manufacture wooden goods or in places that process lumber.

Planer operators need to adjust planers so that they produce boards of the desired thickness and length. They inspect finished Woodstock to ensure that it fits specifications and conduct necessary maintenance on the machines, such as sharpening their blades. Besides operating the machine, planer operators manage the logistics of the woodworking process using their project management skills and leadership. They also need to know a lot about safety regulations since planers are dangerous machinery.

About half of planer operators have Bachelor's degrees, but the most important skills for this position can be learned on the job. It helps if a planer operator has some previous manufacturing experience, especially with machines used in mills or woodworking. Planer operators earn an average annual salary of $44,461.

ScorePlaner OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $46,309

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.9

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.69%

Asian 3.44%

Black or African American 9.85%

Hispanic or Latino 16.82%

Unknown 5.45%

White 63.76%

Gender

female 24.72%

male 75.28%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a planer operator

Explore planer operator education requirements

Most common planer operator degrees

Bachelor's

62.0 %

Master's

12.2 %

Associate

12.2 %

Start to develop specific planer operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Co-Op	17.07%
Project Management	15.64%
Supply Chain	14.61%
Business Operations	9.00%
Logistics	7.56%

Complete relevant planer operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New planer operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a planer operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real planer operator resumes.

Research planer operator duties and responsibilities

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform routine maintenance on planers -grade lumber -perform overall routine building maintenance
Establish and maintain the control environment, implementing SOX.
Track and report KPI's on a weekly basis providing.

Prepare your planer operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your planer operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a planer operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable planer operator resume templates

Build a professional planer operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your planer operator resume.