Electronics assembler: pay in Quebec and Greater Montreal
An electronics assembler solders and mounts components on printed circuit boards and builds electronic equipment in a factory: this is not building personal computers. In Greater Montreal, the Job Bank publishes a separate line for Montréal, Laval, Montérégie, Laurentides and Lanaudière. This page covers the tasks, the training recognized in Quebec and wages by region.
- Quebec median
- $22.72/h
- Range
- $17 – $29.50/h
- Montreal
- $21.53/h
Guichet-Emplois (Job Bank), edition 2025 · CNP 94201
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Electronics assembler pay, region by region
| Region | Low | Median | High | vs Quebec | Offered in postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of Quebec | $17 | $22.72 | $29.50 | — | — |
| Montérégie | $18.19 | $23.82 | $34.34 | +5% | $22 (17) |
| Montréal | $17.42 | $21.53 | $28.44 | −5% | — (1) |
| Laval | $18.02 | $21.94 | $32.56 | −3% | — (3) |
| Lanaudière | $20.22 | $24.75 | $32.29 | +9% | — (2) |
| Laurentides | $18.98 | $23.39 | $31.75 | +3% | — (3) |
The table measures NOC 94201: assemblers and the people who check their work, such as the PCB assembly inspector, the electronic components tester, the wave soldering machine operator and the wafer fabrication operator. It excludes electrical appliance assemblers (94202), electronics technicians (22310), electronic service technicians (22311) and supervisors (92021).
Low, median and high wages published by Job Bank (NOC 94201), 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: $21.31/h · 2024: $21.50/h · 2025: $22.72/h.
What the job postings say
Of 29 postings on Job Bank in Greater Montreal (6 months, February to August 2026), 3% mention a night shift, 3% an evening shift and 3% weekends.
According to the Job Bank, 95% of people in this group work full time in Quebec, compared with 82% across all occupations, and 63% work the full year. The schedule itself depends on how the plant is organized. A shop that hand-assembles small batches may stick to day shifts. A plant running placement and wave soldering machines may add an evening shift. What the shift changes: when quality control and engineering work days, the evening assembler more often decides alone whether a rework is acceptable or whether the board should wait. The work takes place at a controlled room temperature and relies above all on near vision and finger dexterity, the two abilities Québec.ca lists first for this trade.
What an electronics assembler does
- Hand-solder resistors, diodes, transistors, capacitors and integrated circuits at precise points on the printed circuit board
- Insert through-hole components and place surface mount components
- Assemble microcircuits under a microscope, following the area’s cleanliness rules
- Handle boards according to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection rules
- Set up and monitor automatic or semi-automatic machines that place, solder and clean components, such as component inserting machines or wave soldering machines
- Desolder, rework, modify or repair boards, and replace defective components
- Install, fasten, align and adjust components, wiring and brackets in assemblies and sub-assemblies, using screwdrivers, pliers and assembly jigs
- Enclose products in their housings and apply protective coating to boards
- Build prototypes and run the required functional tests
- At inspection: check solder joints, component placement and circuit continuity, then mark assemblies as accepted or to be reworked
Requirements, cards and certifications
- High school diploma, which the Job Bank describes as usually required; training then happens on the job
- Near vision and finger dexterity, to solder and place small components, sometimes under a microscope
- Ability to identify components and follow assembly instructions without deviating
- Compliance with cleanliness and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection rules
- Experience soldering electronic components: Québec.ca lists it as an asset that is sometimes requested
- For inspection roles, assembler experience may be required; for testing roles, introductory training in electronics and test instruments
- WHMIS (SIMDUT) training if the job involves hazardous products such as cleaning solvents or coatings
- No mandatory licence or card: Québec.ca classifies electronics assembly as a non-regulated trade
Training
No diploma is mandatory, but three paths lead to the trade. The first is school: Québec.ca links this occupation to the DEP Montage de câbles et de circuits (5384), an 840-hour program, about eight months according to Inforoute FPT, taught at the École des métiers de l’aérospatiale de Montréal of the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal and offered in English as Cable and Circuit Assembly (5884). Inforoute FPT describes it as geared toward cable harnesses and aerospace. Québec.ca also lists the AEP Montage de panneaux de contrôle (4261), 450 hours, offered in English as Control Panel Assembly (4761). The second is workplace apprenticeship: the Programme d’apprentissage en milieu de travail (workplace apprenticeship program) leads to the certificat de qualification professionnelle (occupational qualification certificate) for electronics assemblers, built on the standard developed by Élexpertise, the workforce committee for the electrical and electronics industry. It has four core competencies, including hand soldering and rework, and takes at least two and a half years for someone with no experience. The third is short training: Nova Formation, the business services arm of the Centre de services scolaire Marie-Victorin on the South Shore, offers a 12-week program for unemployed people covering electrostatic discharge, lead-free soldering, high-reliability soldering, desoldering and IPC-A-610 certification.
Career path
The first possible step lies within the same NOC group: inspector or tester, roles for which the Job Bank says assembler experience may be required. With five years in the trade, an assembler can become a journeyperson and supervise up to two apprentices in the workplace apprenticeship program. Next come production supervision (NOC 92021) or, with a DEC (college diploma), a technician role: Inforoute FPT describes the DEC Technologie du génie électrique : électronique programmable (243.G0), which covers printed circuits and prototypes.
Frequently asked questions
What does an electronics assembler do?
An electronics assembler builds electronic equipment in a factory: soldering components onto printed circuit boards, assembling sub-assemblies and repairing defective boards. According to the occupational standard published by Québec.ca, the job also includes enclosing products in housings, applying protective coatings, running functional tests and building prototypes, alone or on a production line.
How much does an electronics assembler make in Quebec?
The table above gives the Quebec median and the median for each Greater Montreal region, based on Job Bank data. Montréal, Laval, Montérégie, Laurentides and Lanaudière each have their own line. The “What the job postings say” block shows what employers advertise. The measured group, NOC 94201, also includes inspectors and testers: the note under the table gives its scope.
Does an electronics assembler build computers?
No, not in the sense of putting together a desktop PC from purchased parts. An electronics assembler manufactures the boards and components themselves, in a factory. Servicing and repairing computers for households and businesses belongs to another occupation, electronic service technicians (NOC 22311), which NOC 94201 explicitly excludes.
What is the difference between an electronics assembler and an electronics technician?
The assembler executes: soldering, assembling and reworking according to set instructions. The technician provides technical support for design, development, testing and production; the NOC places this role in a separate group, 22310, excluded from the assemblers’ group. At the college level, the DEC Technologie du génie électrique : électronique programmable (243.G0) prepares for that role.
What training do you need to become an electronics assembler?
None is mandatory: the Job Bank says a high school diploma is usually required and that training happens on the job. Québec.ca links the trade to the DEP Montage de câbles et de circuits (5384), 840 hours, also offered in English as Cable and Circuit Assembly (5884), and to the AEP Montage de panneaux de contrôle (4261). Short courses also exist through school business services, such as Nova Formation’s.
Is there a certification for electronics assemblers in Quebec?
Yes: the certificat de qualification professionnelle (occupational qualification certificate) for electronics assemblers, built on the Élexpertise standard. It is voluntary, since the trade is not regulated. You earn it through the workplace apprenticeship program or, after at least three years of full-time work in the trade, through workforce skills recognition, without a diploma.
Can you become an electronics assembler with no experience?
Yes. An apprentice in the workplace apprenticeship program must be 16 or older and employed, but needs no experience; mastering the trade takes at least two and a half years. For people without a job, Nova Formation’s 12-week program on the South Shore prepares for soldering work and IPC-A-610 certification.
Are there electronics assembly jobs in Greater Montreal?
The Job Bank rates the outlook for the next three years as “Limited” for Quebec, Montréal, Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière, and “Moderate” for Montérégie. It cites an expected decline in employment, retirements and several experienced workers looking for work in this occupation. Québec.ca, on its own scale, rates the outlook “Bonnes” (good) for Quebec as a whole.
Where do electronics assemblers work?
Mostly in computer, electronic and electrical product manufacturing: Québec.ca places 47% of the occupation’s jobs there, well ahead of wholesale trade, machinery manufacturing and transportation equipment. The occupational standard mainly targets small companies that produce printed circuit boards, including for medical devices and navigation instruments.
How is it different from an electromechanical assembler?
An electronics assembler works on boards and electronic components; an electromechanical equipment assembler mainly puts together mechanical parts and sub-assemblies. The Job Bank links that second title to NOC 94204, mechanical assemblers and inspectors. The two therefore do not share the same wage table or the same outlook.
What is an electronics assembler called in French?
“Assembleur en électronique”, or “assembleuse en électronique”. The French title of NOC 94201 is “Assembleurs/assembleuses, monteurs/monteuses, contrôleurs/contrôleuses et vérificateurs/vérificatrices de matériel électronique”. The NOC also places “circuit board assembler”, “surface mount assembler” and “through-hole assembler” in the same group; the French for printed circuit board is “carte de circuits imprimés”.
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