CNC operator: pay in Quebec and Greater Montreal
A CNC operator runs and watches a computer numerical control machine tool that has already been programmed: loading parts, starting cycles and measuring what comes off. In Greater Montreal the job sits in machine shops and metal products plants. This page gives the duties, the shifts, the training Quebec recognizes and the pay by region, under NOC 94106.
- Quebec median
- $25.26/h
- Range
- $20.61 – $33.53/h
- Montreal
- $25.36/h
Guichet-Emplois (Job Bank), edition 2025 · CNP 94106
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CNC operator pay, region by region
| Region | Low | Median | High | vs Quebec | Offered in postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of Quebec | $20.61 | $25.26 | $33.53 | — | — |
| Montérégie | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $24 (38) | |||
| Montréal | $19.68 | $25.36 | $32.71 | +0% | $25.80 (13) |
| Laval | $20.44 | $25.16 | $31.59 | −0% | — (2) |
| Lanaudière | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $24.47 (16) | |||
| Laurentides | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $22.25 (12) | |||
The table follows NOC 94106, Machining tool operators. The same code covers CNC operators, lathe and radial drill operators on conventional machines, milling machine set-up operators and even aircraft parts etchers. It excludes machinists (72100), tool and die makers (72101), CNC and CAD/CAM programmers (22302) and supervisors (72010).
Low, median and high wages published by Job Bank (NOC 94106), and pay offered in Greater Montreal job postings (6 months, February to August 2026); in brackets, the number of hourly postings — under ten, no median is shown.
Quebec median by file edition: 2023: $23/h · 2024: $23/h · 2025: $25.26/h.
What the job postings say
Of 83 postings on Job Bank in Greater Montreal (6 months, February to August 2026), 6% mention a night shift, 23% an evening shift and 2% weekends.
Job Bank puts the typical week for machining tool operators at 35 to 40 hours. The percentages above come from postings in Greater Montreal and show how many employers ask for evenings, nights or weekends. The NOC describes machines designed for repetitive work; when a shop adds an evening or night shift, it is that production run that keeps going. Before you accept, ask for the exact schedule, whether shifts rotate, and who sets up the machine when the setup person is not on your shift.
What a CNC operator does
- Read the job order, the drawing and the machining routing to know which operation goes on which part.
- Load the blank into the vise or chuck, clamp the part and start the cycle on the CNC lathe or machining centre.
- Watch the cut during the cycle and stop the machine as soon as a tool breaks, a part shifts or the coolant runs short.
- Measure parts with micrometers, calipers and gauges at the frequency set by the routing or the inspection plan.
- Enter the speed, feed and toolpath codes at the control when the procedure calls for it.
- Deburr parts and do the simple finishing operations the part requires.
- Fill in the production and inspection sheet, and set aside parts that are out of tolerance.
- Do routine maintenance on the machine: chips, cutting oil, greasing, cleaning the station.
- Call the setup person or the machinist when a dimension drifts or the program needs changing.
- Apply lockout before working in the machine’s danger zone, as Quebec’s occupational health and safety regulation requires.
Requirements, cards and certifications
- Secondary school diploma: NOC 94106 states that secondary school education is required.
- Depending on the employer, college or other courses in machining; the NOC notes that several weeks of on-the-job training are provided.
- Reading drawings and machining routings, and using precision measuring instruments.
- SIMDUT 2015 training — the Quebec version of WHMIS — on the shop’s products, cutting oils and degreasers included: the CNESST, Quebec’s workplace safety board, makes it an employer obligation for every exposed worker.
- Lockout: section 196 of the Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail, Quebec’s occupational health and safety regulation, requires it before any work in a machine’s danger zone, or failing that a method that ensures equivalent safety.
- No mandatory licence: the trade is not regulated in Quebec, and the setup-operator certificate is optional.
- Standing, repetitive motion, manual handling, noise and chemicals: the physical demands and work environment Job Bank describes.
Training
Two recognized programs lead to the job. The AEP Opérations sur machines-outils à commande numérique (program 4214), a vocational attestation, runs 645 hours, about eight months, and targets the operator directly: running a CNC lathe and machining centre, reading drawings and routings, taking measurements. It is offered in English as Numerical Control Machine Tool Operation (4714), but Inforoute FPT lists it in this area only as recognition of prior learning at the Centre de services scolaire des Hautes-Rivières, in Montérégie. The DEP Usinage (program 5371, 1,800 hours, offered in English as Machining) trains machinists first, but Inforoute FPT also links it to machining tool operators; on the island it is taught at CFP d’Anjou, the École des métiers de l’aérospatiale de Montréal and CIMME. Without either one, the way in is the on-the-job training the NOC describes.
Career path
According to the NOC, operator experience is required for senior positions in the group, such as set-up operator, and an experienced operator may become a machinist or a tool and die maker through apprenticeship. Quebec structures that step: its qualification certificate for CNC machine tool machinists starts with the régleur-opérateur level (running and setting up the machine), then the programmeur-régleur level. The apprenticeship happens on the job, from age 16, and takes 18 months for turning and 24 months for milling when the person has no training related to the trade. Full-time programming belongs to another NOC group, 22302.
Frequently asked questions
What does a CNC operator do?
A CNC operator runs a computer numerical control machine tool: a lathe, a milling machine or a machining centre. They load the part, start the cycle, watch the cut and measure the result. NOC 94106 describes the work as running machines designed for repetitive machining: the program already exists, and the operator runs the batch.
How much does a CNC operator make in Quebec?
The table above answers for Quebec and for each region of Greater Montreal. It shows a median, not an average, because that is what Job Bank publishes. When a region has no data of its own, the table says so and shows the Quebec figures. The postings column beside it shows what employers actually offer.
What does CNC stand for?
CNC stands for computer numerical control. The machine follows a program that sets the tool’s speed, feed and coordinates, instead of being guided by hand. The NOC uses the term in the job title computer numerical control (CNC) machining tool operator, one of the examples listed under 94106.
What training do you need to become a CNC operator?
Secondary school, according to NOC 94106, which adds that several weeks of on-the-job training are provided. The program aimed at this job is the AEP in CNC machine tool operation, 645 hours, offered in English as Numerical Control Machine Tool Operation. The DEP Usinage, 1,800 hours, is broader: Inforoute FPT links it to both machinists and operators.
What is the NOC code for a CNC operator?
It is 94106, machining tool operators, in NOC 2021. The previous version of the classification called it 9417, and Inforoute FPT still shows that code on its program pages. Job Bank publishes wages and employment outlook under 94106, which is where the table on this page comes from.
What NOC code fits a production operator?
Production operator is not a NOC group: the classification sorts operators by machine and process. If the machine cuts metal by turning, milling, drilling or grinding, the right code is 94106. Someone running a different line, in food or plastics for example, belongs to another group, so check the machine before you pick the code.
Can you become a CNC operator with no experience?
Yes. NOC 94106 provides for several weeks of on-the-job training, and Quebec’s workplace apprenticeship program, the Programme d’apprentissage en milieu de travail, accepts an apprentice aged 16 or over who has a job, with no experience required. Experience matters later: the NOC asks for it for senior positions such as set-up operator.
Does a CNC operator program the machine?
Usually not. NOC 94106 gives the operator, at most, entering speed, feed and toolpath codes at the control. CNC programmers and CAD/CAM programmers are excluded from the group and classified under 22302. Quebec’s certificate follows the same logic: setup-operator first, programmer-setter after that.
Is there a qualification certificate for CNC operators in Quebec?
Yes, but it is optional. Quebec issues the certificate for CNC machine tool machinists at the régleur-opérateur, or setup-operator, level for four processes: turning, milling, cylindrical grinding and wire EDM. It is earned on the job under a journeyperson and covers two competencies: running the machine and setting it up.
Are CNC operators in demand in Greater Montreal?
Job Bank rates the outlook for NOC 94106 as Moderate for Quebec and for Montérégie, and Limited for Montréal, Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière. Its reasons: employment should stay stable, retirements will open some positions, but several experienced workers are already looking for work in the occupation.
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