In men and women: 98,500 people were employed at pulp, paper and paperboard mills; 270,100 at paper and paperboard converting plants; 49,500 in logging operations; 397,000 at lumber and wood panel facilities; and 119,100 at wood kitchen cabinet plants.10 In 2016, employee compensation paid was $29.9 billion in the paper industry, $21 billion in the wood products industry and $2.3 billion in the logging industry, totaling $53.2 billion.11 Paper industry employee earnings averaged $66,900 in 2016, which was 24 percent above the national av erage earnings of all non-farm private sector employees.