Machinist Salary in Canada | Breakdown by Province
In Canada, the median wage for machinists is $30.00/hr
Machinists in Canada: job prospects, employment requirements, licensing.
Machinists in Canada, classified under NOC 72100 as machinists and machining and tooling inspectors, set up and operate a variety of machine tools to cut, grind, or shape metal, plastic, or other materials to precise dimensions for parts and products. Approximately 43,400 people worked in this occupation in 2023, with 44 percent aged 50 and over. Job prospects are balanced nationally through 2033, with about 16,200 projected job openings roughly matching the expected 15,700 job seekers, driven by manufacturing needs, infrastructure projects, and replacement demand from retirements.
Median hourly wages stand at about 30.00 Canadian dollars nationally, with typical ranges from 21.00 to 41.50 dollars per hour depending on experience, location, sector, and skills in CNC programming or precision work. Most positions require completion of a four- to five-year apprenticeship program or a college diploma in machining along with provincial or territorial certification, and work conditions generally involve full-time shifts in manufacturing plants or machine shops that may include overtime, physically demanding tasks, standing for long periods, exposure to noise and metalworking fluids, and strict adherence to safety protocols.
Licensing
If a trade is regulated in the province or territory you wish to settle in, contact the regulatory authority and/or apprenticeship office in that province or territory.
| MACHINIST (NOC 72100) | |||
| 2025 | Wages/hr | ||
| Community/Area | Low | Median | High |
| Canada | 21.00 | 30.00 | 41.50 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 20.00 | 30.00 | 39.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | 21.95 | 27.96 | 31.82 |
| Nova Scotia | 21.00 | 31.00 | 47.12 |
| New Brunswick | 20.00 | 30.00 | 36.00 |
| Quebec | 21.00 | 27.50 | 38.00 |
| Ontario | 21.00 | 30.00 | 40.85 |
| Manitoba | 19.00 | 28.00 | 40.00 |
| Saskatchewan | 28.85 | 35.00 | 45.00 |
| Alberta | 25.00 | 36.50 | 45.00 |
| British Columbia | 25.00 | 38.00 | 46.29 |
| Yukon Territory | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Northwest Territories | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nunavut | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Source: Job Bank. 2026 | |||
According to Canada’s Job Bank, in 2021, the median wage for machinists in Canada was $26/hr.
| MACHINISTS AND MACHINING AND TOOLING INSPECTORS (NOC 7231) | |||
| Community/Area | Wages ($/hour) | ||
| 2021 | Low | Median | High |
| Canada | 18 | 26 | 38 |
| Newfoundland | 15 | 24 | 34.98 |
| PEI | 17 | 20 | 34.62 |
| Nova Scotia | 18 | 26.5 | 40 |
| New Brunswick | 18 | 23.5 | 40 |
| Quebec | 17.53 | 24 | 34 |
| Ontario | 18 | 25 | 35 |
| Manitoba | 18 | 28 | 34.7 |
| Saskatchewan | 18.5 | 30.9 | 43 |
| Alberta | 21 | 32 | 40.77 |
| British Columbia | 21 | 32.69 | 41.85 |
| Yukon Territory | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| NWT | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nunavut | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Source: Job Bank. Nov 2021 | |||
In 2016, Machinists in New Brunswick reported the lowest salaries.
| MACHINISTS AND MACHINING AND TOOLING INSPECTORS (NOC 7231-B) | |||
| 2016 | Wages ($/hr) | ||
| Province/Territory | Low | Median | High |
| Canada | 17 | 24.8 | 35 |
| Saskatchewan | 19.8 | 27 | 43 |
| British Columbia | 20.77 | 32.74 | 40.35 |
| Alberta | 21 | 29.3 | 39.9 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 15.9 | 21.13 | 38 |
| Québec | 16 | 23 | 35 |
| Manitoba | 17 | 25.96 | 32.19 |
| Ontario | 16 | 24 | 31.73 |
| Nova Scotia | 16 | 20 | 30 |
| Prince Edward Island | 16 | 21 | 30 |
| New Brunswick | 17.82 | 20 | 27.8 |
| Northwest Territories | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nunavut | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Yukon | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Source: Job Bank. November 2016* | |||
*Wages are reviewed and updated on the Job Bank Web site on an annual basis.
