Wood engineering
Did you know...
$117,268
Average salary (Genium360)
4 years
Duration of the bachelor’s degree in wood engineering
99%
Of homes in Quebec are built using wood.
From residues to biofuel
Thanks to forest engineering, wood-cutting residues can be transformed into renewable energy, contributing to the energy transition.
83% cities depend on the forest sector
From the Laurentians to the Côte-Nord, wood sustains hundreds of communities in Quebec
From the forest to the factory
Wood engineering covers the entire wood value chain.
What the job really looks like
As a wood engineer, you’ll plan and optimize wood-processing operations—from the forest to the finished product.
- Plan and manage industrial wood-processing operations according to specifications.
- Estimate manufacturing costs for products such as lumber, composite panels, furniture, and building systems.
- Design sawing, veneering, drying, machining, and wood-preservation processes in manufacturing plants.
- Design and market innovative wood or composite-material products.
Source: REPÈRES, the official school and career information website (in French)
Where do you see yourself?
Wood engineers work in fields as varied as construction, the forest industry, and furniture manufacturing.
- Consulting engineering firms
- Building construction companies
- Forest operations
- Structural wood component manufacturers
- Federal and provincial government
- Lumber and building materials wholesalers
- Pulp and paper industry
- Sawmilling and shingle industry
- Furniture and furnishings industry
FUEL MADE FROM WASTE
Harvest residues that can power engines instead of oil
What remains after logging (branches, bark, sawdust) can be converted into biofuel. This fast-growing sector in Quebec helps reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and fully leverage forest resources.
1.5 million cars
In greenhouse gas emissions eliminated
HIGH-TECH WOOD: IT EXISTS
What’s more fire-resistant than steel? Glulam.
Engineers have developed glued-laminated timber using Quebec softwood species. By removing natural defects and layering laminations, this process creates a material stronger than raw wood, and surprisingly, more fire-resistant than steel.
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Want to explore other options?
Your mission: find your field
An interactive game to help you discover the engineer in you. (In French only.)
