NOC 94100 · Occupations in manufacturing and utilities

NOC 94100: Machine operators, mineral and metal processing

TEER

High school and on-the-job training

Median wage (Canada)

$35.00/hr

≈ $68,000/yr full-time

Express Entry (FSW, CEC)

Not skilled (TEER 4–5)

Per IRCC’s TEER rule

What machine operators, mineral and metal processing do

Machine operators in mineral and metal processing operate machinery to process mineral ore and metal. They are employed in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries, uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries and cement processing plants.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Set up, prepare and adjust mineral ore, metal and cement processing machinery to carry out one step in the overall mineral ore or metal processing operation
Operate single-function machinery to grind, separate, filter, mix, treat, cast, roll, refine or otherwise process mineral ores
Observe gauges, meters, computer printouts, video monitors and products to ensure correct operation of machinery and verify processing conditions
Make adjustments to machinery as required
Record production information and complete reports
May assist with machinery maintenance or repair.

Job titles under NOC 94100

287 job titles are classified here, including aluminum classifier, asbestos dryer, billet heater.

alumina clarifier operator
alumina recovery operator
aluminum classifier
aluminum electrolytic tank reconditioner
aluminum electrolytic tank tender
aluminum oxide controller
aluminum pourer - primary metal processing
aluminum powder maker
aluminum slurry pump tender
aluminum stretcher-leveller operator
aluminum-briquetting equipment operator
aluminum-casting machine operator - primary metal processing
amalgamation process tender
annealer - primary metal processing
anode caster
anode caster - primary metal processing
anode operator
anode paste plant operator
anode press operator
arsenic recovery operator
asbestos dryer
asbestos screen tender
auxiliary equipment operator - primary metal processing
baghouse operator

Employment requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
On-the-job training is provided.
Experience as a labourer in mineral and metal processing is usually required for machine operators.

Machine operators, mineral and metal processing wages in Canada

Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).

By city
Where	Low	Median	High
Canada	$22.00/hr	$35.00/hr	$50.00/hr
Toronto ON	$19.00/hr	$26.22/hr	$35.00/hr
Montréal QC	$23.29/hr	$36.15/hr	$37.46/hr
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC	$25.13/hr	$37.76/hr	$48.73/hr
Calgary AB	$26.04/hr	$36.81/hr	$49.65/hr
Edmonton AB	$25.49/hr	$37.60/hr	$51.25/hr
Winnipeg MB	$21.81/hr	$26.44/hr	$33.23/hr
Québec City Quebec region, QC	$28.00/hr	$40.00/hr	$52.35/hr
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON	$23.00/hr	$29.57/hr	$36.50/hr
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON	$19.50/hr	$28.00/hr	$32.00/hr
London ON	$24.39/hr	$30.54/hr	$32.75/hr
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC	$24.16/hr	$34.64/hr	$40.21/hr

By province and territory
Where	Low	Median	High
Newfoundland and Labrador	$22.91/hr	$34.77/hr	$55.30/hr
Nova Scotia	$18.11/hr	$25.96/hr	$31.15/hr
New Brunswick	$19.86/hr	$23.67/hr	$26.44/hr
Quebec	$28.00/hr	$40.00/hr	$52.35/hr
Ontario	$20.00/hr	$28.00/hr	$40.00/hr
Manitoba	$22.00/hr	$29.00/hr	$38.00/hr
Saskatchewan	$21.00/hr	$35.00/hr	$43.00/hr
Alberta	$24.78/hr	$36.58/hr	$49.56/hr
British Columbia	$29.30/hr	$38.00/hr	$46.00/hr

Using NOC 94100 for your resume or Express Entry profile

IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 287 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.

Check your resume against a posting Find another NOC code

Not in this group

Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:

Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing (NOC 93100)
Concrete, clay and stone forming operators (NOC 94103)
Foundry workers (NOC 94101)
Glass forming and finishing machine operators and glass cutters (NOC 94102)
Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing (NOC 94104)
Labourers in mineral and metal processing (NOC 95100)
Supervisors, mineral and metal processing (NOC 92010)

Frequently asked questions

What is the NOC code for machine operators, mineral and metal processing?

Machine operators, mineral and metal processing are NOC 2021 unit group 94100. Example job titles in this group include aluminum classifier, asbestos dryer, billet heater, brick and tile crusher operator.

What TEER is NOC 94100?

NOC 94100 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.