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Pulp control operator

Also called pulp producer, pulp control worker, pulp paper operator

Pulp control operators operate and monitor multi-function process control machinery and equipment to control the processing of wood, scrap pulp, recycable paper and other cellulose materials in the production of pulp. They set up, operate and maintain the machinery, analyse the production results and adjust the process when necessary.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects27 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Science and engineering associate professionalsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,600 (Bulgaria) to €6,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Science and engineering associate professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually post-secondary or a short degree4 in 10 have a degree.Science and engineering associate professionalsWill AI change it?No exact scoreThe ILO does not score this exact group; the figure is the average of related groups.

What you'd do

Set up machine controlsMonitor automated machinesWear appropriate protective gearOperate pulp control machineTroubleshoot+ 5 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors and outdoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines every day
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the related, broader US job "Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as science and engineering associate professionals in the EU
7.4m7.3m7.49m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
142,000 new jobs 1,835,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Science and engineering associate professionals27
All jobs29
Right now
5 of 27 countries report a shortage of process control technicians not elsewhere classified, 6 a surplus.
Process control technicians not elsewhere classified · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,600 a month (Bulgaria) to €6,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among technicians and associate professionals in the EU, women earn 16% less per hour than men. Technicians and associate professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually post-secondary or a short degree

Post-secondary training or a short degree in chemistry is the usual route.

Highest qualification of science and engineering associate professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 41%Vocational 43%General secondary 7%Basic schooling 9%
Fields that teach it
Chemistry · Materials (glass, paper, plastic and wood)
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field
Science and maths graduates in a matching job
63% in the EU

697 institutions in the EU offer science and maths bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

The ILO does not score this exact group; the figure is the average of related groups.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale

Average task score 0.29 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully). Average of related groups (process control technicians).

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for process control technicians. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).