Machinist: pay in Quebec and Greater Montreal
A machinist reads the print, sets up the part, dials in the machine tool and holds the tolerance on the first piece. This page covers shop and plant machinists in Greater Montreal, classified under NOC 72100 — not the operator who runs a machine someone else set up. It gives the duties, the shifts, the recognized Quebec training and the pay by region.
- Quebec median
- $27.50/h
- Range
- $21 – $38/h
- Montreal
- $26/h
Guichet-Emplois (Job Bank), edition 2025 · CNP 72100
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Machinist pay, region by region
| Region | Low | Median | High | vs Quebec | Offered in postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of Quebec | $21 | $27.50 | $38 | — | — |
| Montérégie | $22.71 | $29 | $43 | +5% | $28.66 (91) |
| Montréal | $19 | $26 | $35 | −5% | $27.50 (43) |
| Laval | $16.10 | $27 | $36.35 | −2% | — (9) |
| Lanaudière | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $32.50 (15) | |||
| Laurentides | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $29.43 (19) | |||
The table follows NOC 72100, which puts machinists and machining and tooling inspectors under one code. Machine tool operators sit in a separate group, NOC 94106, so their wages are not in this table.
Low, median and high wages published by Job Bank (NOC 72100), 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: $27/h · 2024: $27/h · 2025: $27.50/h.
What the job postings say
Of 183 postings on Job Bank in Greater Montreal (6 months, February to August 2026), 3% mention a night shift, 12% an evening shift and 6% weekends.
Job Bank puts a machinist’s typical week 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. Shops running more than one shift usually keep setup and the first article on days, then hand the run to operators — the NOC separates the two roles for that reason. Confirm your availability at screening: it decides which jobs are open to you.
What a machinist does
- Read a shop drawing, a dimension and its tolerance, then plan the machining sequence and choose the cutting tools.
- Work out dimensions, cutting speeds and feeds before the first cut.
- Set up the part and its workholding on a lathe, milling machine, grinder or machining centre.
- Dial in the conventional or CNC machine tool, then write or correct the program.
- Cut the first article, measure it and adjust the offsets before releasing the run.
- Check dimensions with micrometers, calipers, gauges, height gauges or an optical comparator.
- Fit and assemble machined metal parts and subassemblies using hand and power tools.
- Prepare the program, the tooling and the instructions for the operator who will run production.
- Record deviations from specification and complete the inspection report.
- Sharpen and change cutting tools, maintain the machine, and follow the safety data sheets for the cutting oils and solvents on the floor.
Requirements, cards and certifications
- Secondary school diploma or the equivalent, usually required under NOC 72100.
- A DEP in machining, or a four-year apprenticeship, or four or more years of work in the machining and metalworking trades together with specialized courses.
- Print reading, tolerance calculation and everyday use of precision measuring instruments.
- SIMDUT 2015 training — the Quebec version of WHMIS — which the CNESST, the provincial health and safety board, requires for anyone exposed to hazardous products such as cutting oils and solvents.
- Certificat de qualification professionnelle for machinists, Quebec’s provincial qualification certificate: optional here, but asked for by some employers.
- Red Seal endorsement after the interprovincial exam, useful for work outside Quebec.
- Tolerance for noise, long periods standing, repetitive motion and manual handling, the conditions Job Bank describes for the trade.
Training
The DEP Usinage (program 5371, mechanical manufacturing sector) runs 1,800 hours and is offered in English as Machining (5871). The ASP Usinage sur machines-outils à commande numérique (program 5224), a CNC specialization certificate, adds 885 hours of programming and work on CNC lathes and machining centres. The DEC Techniques de génie mécanique (241.A0), a three-year college diploma of 2,790 hours, leads more toward design and programming. In the Montreal area, the École des métiers de l’aérospatiale de Montréal offers the DEP; Inforoute FPT keeps the list of authorized institutions.
Career path
With experience a machinist moves from running to setting up, then to programming: Quebec’s qualification certificate for CNC machine tools has two levels, régleur-opérateur then programmeur-régleur, while the certificate for conventional machine tools has none. From there the paths open toward moulds, where the province issues a machiniste-mouliste certificate, then machining and tooling inspection, quality control, calibrating the shop’s measuring equipment, mentoring apprentices, and team lead or shop supervisor. A college diploma in mechanical engineering technology opens design and CAD/CAM programming.
Frequently asked questions
What does a machinist do?
A machinist makes metal parts to size from a drawing. They read the print, work out dimensions and tolerances, set up the part, dial in a conventional or CNC machine tool, cut the part, then check the result with a micrometer or a comparator. NOC 72100 also has them program the machines that operators will run.
How much does a machinist make in Quebec?
The table above answers it: it shows the Quebec median and the median for each region, including Greater Montreal, from Job Bank wage data. What a machinist earns moves with the process, the tolerance the shop holds and how much programming the job carries. Region matters too, which is why the table is broken out that way.
What training do you need to become a machinist in Quebec?
The DEP Usinage, program 5371, 1,800 hours, is the straightest route; it is offered in English as Machining. Employers hiring for CNC work often ask for the ASP Usinage sur machines-outils à commande numérique, 885 more hours. The three-year DEC Techniques de génie mécanique, a college diploma, points more toward design and programming than toward the machine.
What is the difference between a machinist and a CNC operator?
The machinist prepares the job: reads the print, picks the tooling, sets up the part, dials in and programs the machine, then checks the first article. The operator runs a machine that is already set up and repeats the cut. The NOC keeps them apart for that reason: 72100 for machinists, 94106 for machine tool operators, a group it describes as repetitive work.
What is the NOC code for a machinist?
In NOC 2021 a machinist is 72100, machinists and machining and tooling inspectors. The same code covers aircraft machinists, automotive machinists, apprentice machinists and inspectors of machined parts and tooling. Job Bank publishes wages and employment outlook under that code, which is where the table on this page comes from, so a résumé that names the code saves the recruiter a step.
Do you need a licence to work as a machinist in Quebec?
No. The trade is not regulated in Quebec, so no card is required to be hired. The province still issues a certificat de qualification professionnelle, a qualification certificate earned on the job through the Programme d’apprentissage en milieu de travail, Quebec’s workplace apprenticeship program, under a designated journeyperson. A Red Seal endorsement follows the interprovincial exam.
What is a conventional machinist?
A machinist who works on hand-set machines: lathe, milling machine, drill press, grinder. Quebec issues a separate qualification certificate for machiniste sur machine-outil conventionnelle, distinct from the CNC one. Shops keep these machines for one-off parts, repairs and rework. NOC 72100 puts conventional and CNC machine tools under the same job anyway.
What is an industrial machinist?
The phrase usually means a machinist employed inside a plant rather than in a job shop: they cut and rebuild parts for the plant’s own production equipment. The NOC code stays 72100. Do not confuse the role with an industrial mechanic, who maintains and repairs machines without necessarily machining the parts.
Can you become a machinist without a DEP?
Yes, through experience. NOC 72100 accepts a four-year apprenticeship, or four or more years of work in the machining and metalworking trades together with specialized courses. Quebec’s workplace apprenticeship program lets you qualify while employed, from age 16, under a journeyperson your employer designates.
Where can you study machining in the Montreal area?
Several vocational training centres in Greater Montreal run program 5371. The École des métiers de l’aérospatiale de Montréal, part of the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, is one example: it offers the DEP and teaches numerical control. Inforoute FPT keeps the current list of authorized institutions.
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