Pulp grader
Also known as: pulp and paper qaulity tester, pulp quality grader, pulp tester, pulp and paper quality grader, pulp and paper grader, pulp quality tester
About this occupation
Pulp graders grade paper pulp based on a number of possible criteria, such as pulping process, raw materials, bleaching methods, yield, and fibre length.
A specialisation of product grader.
Essential skills and knowledge
- oversee quality control
- maintain test equipment
- grade pulp
- types of paper
- report test findings
- prepare technical reports
- quality assurance methodologies
- quality standards
- operate precision measuring equipment
- perform laboratory tests
- monitor pulp quality
- record survey measurements
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Log Graders and Scalers (O*NET 45-4023.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Evaluate log characteristics and determine grades, using established criteria.
- Record data about individual trees or load volumes into tally books or hand-held collection terminals.
- Measure felled logs or loads of pulpwood to calculate volume, weight, dimensions, and marketable value, using measuring devices and conversion tables.
- Paint identification marks of specified colors on logs to identify grades or species, using spray cans, or call out grades to log markers.
- Jab logs with metal ends of scale sticks, and inspect logs to ascertain characteristics or defects such as water damage, splits, knots, broken ends, rotten areas, twists, and curves.
- Identify logs of substandard or special grade so that they can be returned to shippers, regraded, recut, or transferred for other processing.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Realistic, Investigative
Top skills: Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Writing, Active Learning, Monitoring
US median pay: US$46,330 a year (2025), 3,070 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.3)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
- Logging Equipment Operators
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.