Production welder: pay in Quebec and Greater Montreal
A production welder, or welder-assembler, reads the print, sets metal parts in a jig and welds them with a manual or semi-automatic process. This page covers plant and shop welders in Greater Montreal, not construction-site welders, whose trade falls under the CCQ, Quebec’s construction commission. It gives the duties, the recognized Quebec training, the shifts and the pay by region.
- Quebec median
- $28/h
- Range
- $22 – $35.38/h
- Montreal
- Quebec median
Guichet-Emplois (Job Bank), edition 2025 · CNP 72106
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Production welder pay, region by region
| Region | Low | Median | High | vs Quebec | Offered in postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of Quebec | $22 | $28 | $35.38 | — | — |
| Montérégie | $22 | $28 | $36.75 | 0% | $28.15 (159) |
| Montréal | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $28.50 (37) | |||
| Laval | $21.95 | $27 | $35 | −4% | $25.25 (11) |
| Lanaudière | $22.92 | $28 | $41.10 | 0% | $27.50 (57) |
| Laurentides | $22 | $28 | $35 | 0% | $28 (27) |
The table follows NOC 72106, which mixes manual welders, welder-fitters and welding and brazing machine operators, robots included. The code does not separate plant from construction site. It excludes weld inspectors (22230), welding supervisors (72010), welding technologists (22101), and wave soldering machine operators (94201). Structural steel fitters have their own code, 72104.
Low, median and high wages published by Job Bank (NOC 72106), 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: $26/h · 2024: $28.10/h · 2025: $28/h.
What the job postings say
Of 299 postings on Job Bank in Greater Montreal (6 months, February to August 2026), 0% mention a night shift, 10% an evening shift and 3% weekends.
The “What the job postings say” block above gives the share of Greater Montreal postings that ask for evenings, nights or weekends: that is the figure to read before applying. An evening or night shift changes your sleep, your family life and your access to public transit in the industrial parks. The job itself does not change: heat, noise, fumes and arc radiation, which Quebec lists as the hazards of the trade, are the same at any hour. Confirm your availability at screening: it decides which jobs are open to you.
What a production welder does
- Read the print, detail drawings, welding symbols and the welding procedure on the work order.
- Check part preparation, then lay out reference points and lines before assembly.
- Set the parts in a jig and hold them in position according to the print.
- Prepare the joints: bevel by mechanical or thermal methods, grind, brush, degrease.
- Set up the welding station and adjust arc voltage, current, wire feed speed and shielding gas flow.
- Weld GMAW (MIG), FCAW (flux-core), SMAW (stick) or GTAW (TIG), flat, horizontal or vertical as the part requires.
- Choose a welding sequence that limits distortion, then straighten the part if needed.
- Cut parts with a cutting torch, and bevel or gouge to prepare or repair a weld.
- Check the weld and the part visually and dimensionally, and fix defects before releasing the assembly.
- Run or monitor an adjustable welding machine or a robotic cell, and adjust the welding heads.
Requirements, cards and certifications
- Secondary school diploma, usually required under NOC 72106.
- A DEP in welding and assembly, or a three-year apprenticeship, or more than three years in the trade with specialized welding training.
- Reading prints, detail drawings and welding symbols.
- CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) qualification under CSA W47.1 when the plant is certified: it is tested on the employer’s procedures and lasts two years.
- SIMDUT 2015 training — Quebec’s version of WHMIS — which the CNESST, the provincial health and safety board, requires for anyone exposed to hazardous products such as shop gases and cleaning products.
- Wearing protective equipment and tolerating heat, noise, fumes and radiation, the hazards Quebec names for this trade.
- For welding machine operators: robotics experience may be required, according to NOC 72106.
Training
The DEP Soudage-assemblage (program 5382, metallurgy sector) runs 1,800 hours; it replaces the former DEP Soudage-montage (5195), whose graduates still list it under that name. It is offered in English as Welding and Assembly (5882). The AEP Soudage semi-automatique GMAW et FCAW (4250), a short vocational certificate offered in English as Semi-automatic Welding GMAW and FCAW (4750), runs 660 hours and covers semi-automatic welding of steel and stainless steel. In the area, the Institut technique Aviron de Montréal and the École des métiers spécialisés de Laval offer the DEP; Inforoute FPT keeps the full list of schools. On the job, Quebec’s workplace apprenticeship program leads to the assembleur-soudeur qualification certificate.
Career path
Quebec’s assembleur-soudeur qualification certificate, issued by Emploi-Québec, recognizes command of the trade; the Red Seal endorsement, after the interprovincial exam, lets you work in the participating provinces and territories. With experience, a production welder widens their processes and positions, moves to setting up robotic cells or building jigs, then toward positions with more responsibility. Other codes take over from there: weld inspector (22230), after non-destructive testing training, or welding supervisor (72010).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a production welder make in Montreal?
The table above answers it: it shows the Quebec median and the median for each region of Greater Montreal, from Job Bank data for NOC 72106, and flags any region without data of its own. The postings column shows what employers actually offer, region by region.
What does the assembler side of a welder-assembler job involve?
The assembler prepares the piece before it is welded: checks the parts, lays out reference points and lines, sets them in a jig and holds them in place to the print. In a welder-assembler job the two go together: Quebec’s apprenticeship booklet treats assembly and welding as two mandatory modules of the same trade.
Is an assembler who does not weld in this table?
No. The table on this page only covers people who weld or run a welding machine, under NOC 72106. Structural steel fitters have their own code, 72104, and electronics assemblers fall under NOC 94201. Check the code of the job you have in mind before comparing medians.
What is welding and assembly?
Welding and assembly means joining, by various welding processes, the parts that make up a welded assembly: reading the print, preparing joints, positioning in a jig, welding, then checking. It is also the name of the Quebec DEP that leads to the job, Soudage-assemblage (5382), and of the assembleur-soudeur qualification certificate issued by Emploi-Québec.
Which DEP do you need to become a welder in Quebec?
The DEP Soudage-assemblage, program 5382, runs 1,800 hours and replaces the former DEP Soudage-montage (5195). It is offered in English as Welding and Assembly (5882). For a shorter route into plant work, the AEP in semi-automatic GMAW and FCAW welding (4250, or 4750 in English) runs 660 hours but covers fewer processes.
Can you become a production welder without a DEP?
Yes. NOC 72106 recognizes a three-year apprenticeship or more than three years in the trade, with specialized welding training in school or in industry. Quebec’s workplace apprenticeship program lets you qualify on the job: the province plans two and a half years for someone already trained, longer without experience.
Do you need a licence to weld in a factory in Quebec?
Generally no: Quebec lists the assembleur-soudeur among its non-regulated trades, and the qualification certificate is voluntary. The exception is welding on pressure equipment. There, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, the provincial building authority, requires a company qualification and a personal qualification for each welder, issued by Emploi-Québec, under ASME Section IX. A plant certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau also requires the CWB test. Construction sites fall under the CCQ.
What is a CWB ticket?
It is the Canadian Welding Bureau’s practical qualification test, done to an approved welding procedure for a given process and position. Under CSA W47.1 the qualification lasts two years, and only while the welder works for a certified company. With a new certified employer, you therefore qualify again.
What is the difference between a production welder and a construction welder?
A production welder builds in a shop, often in series, with jigs and fixed stations; the trade is not regulated, except for welding on pressure equipment. A construction welder works on building sites, where the CCQ governs the trade. NOC 72106 puts both under the same code, which is why the table does not separate them.
What is the job outlook for welders in Greater Montreal?
Job Bank rates it Limited for Quebec, Montréal, Laval, Montérégie and Lanaudière, and Very limited in the Laurentides. It expects employment to decline, with openings coming mostly from retirements, and notes that experienced workers are already looking for jobs. Demand follows manufacturing activity and public investment.
What is the NOC code for a welder-assembler?
In NOC 2021 a welder-assembler is 72106, welders and related machine operators. The same code covers apprentice welders, welder-fitters, assembly welders, pressure vessel welders and laser welding machine operators. Job Bank publishes wages and employment outlook under that code, which is where the table on this page comes from. In French the job is soudeur-assembleur.
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