NOC 94106 · Occupations in manufacturing and utilities

NOC 94106: Machining tool operators

TEER

High school and on-the-job training

Median wage (Canada)

$25.00/hr

≈ $49,000/yr full-time

Express Entry (FSW, CEC)

Not skilled (TEER 4–5)

Per IRCC’s TEER rule

What machining tool operators do

Machining tool operators set up and operate or tend metal-cutting machines designed for repetitive machining work. They are employed by metal products and other manufacturing companies and in machine shops. This unit group also includes workers who etch or chemically mill metal pieces.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Study job orders and interpret blueprints to determine machining operations to be performed
Set up and operate machine tools to perform repetitive machining operations, such as turning, milling, drilling, boring, planing, honing, broaching, grinding or other machining operations
Verify dimensions of parts machined using micrometers, callipers and other precision measuring instruments
Prepare etching solution and immerse metal parts or workpiece in etching solution to remove unwanted portions
Perform routine maintenance on equipment and machinery
May enter codes specifying speed, feed and cut of the toolpath for computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools.

Job titles under NOC 94106

154 job titles are classified here, including aircraft parts etcher, boring mill operator - metal machining, computer numerical control (CNC) machining tool operator.

aircraft engine parts machine tool set-up operator
aircraft parts etcher
automated machine tool set-up operator
automatic screw machine operator
automatic transfer machine operator - metal machining
axle lathe operator
barrel rifler
bearing borer
bearing grinder
bench machine tool set-up operator
bolt-threading machine operator
boring machine operator - metal machining
boring mill operator - metal machining
boring mill set-up operator - metal machining
brake drum lathe operator
broaching machine operator - metal machining
broaching machine set-up operator - metal machining
Bullard multiple-spindle lathe operator
camming machine operator - metal machining
centreless cylindrical grinder set-up operator
centreless cylindrical-grinder operator
centreless grinder operator
centreless grinder set-up operator - metal machining
chucking machine set-up operator

Employment requirements

Secondary school education is required.
College or other courses in machining may be required.
Several weeks of on-the-job training are provided.
Senior positions in this unit group, such as set-up operator, require experience as a machine operator.

Machining tool operators 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	$17.50/hr	$25.00/hr	$33.08/hr
Toronto ON	$20.27/hr	$26.23/hr	$33.17/hr
Montréal QC	$19.68/hr	$25.36/hr	$32.71/hr
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC	$22.43/hr	$26.39/hr	$32.21/hr
Calgary AB	$23.06/hr	$28.09/hr	$33.16/hr
Edmonton AB	$22.66/hr	$28.49/hr	$33.65/hr
Ottawa ON	$21.68/hr	$26.43/hr	$32.12/hr
Winnipeg MB	$17.50/hr	$25.00/hr	$28.00/hr
Québec City Quebec region, QC	$20.61/hr	$25.26/hr	$33.53/hr
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON	$20.58/hr	$25.67/hr	$34.18/hr
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON	$18.00/hr	$25.00/hr	$34.50/hr
London ON	$20.00/hr	$27.00/hr	$42.00/hr
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC	$23.03/hr	$28.05/hr	$34.97/hr

By province and territory
Where	Low	Median	High
Nova Scotia	$21.52/hr	$26.76/hr	$33.66/hr
New Brunswick	$23.21/hr	$26.70/hr	$33.47/hr
Quebec	$20.61/hr	$25.26/hr	$33.53/hr
Ontario	$17.60/hr	$24.00/hr	$34.50/hr
Manitoba	$17.50/hr	$25.00/hr	$28.00/hr
Saskatchewan	$22.16/hr	$26.30/hr	$30.29/hr
Alberta	$22.00/hr	$30.00/hr	$40.87/hr
British Columbia	$22.00/hr	$26.40/hr	$31.75/hr

Using NOC 94106 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 154 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:

Computer numerical control (CNC) programmer (NOC 22302)
Computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) programmer (NOC 22302)
Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations (NOC 72010)
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (NOC 72100)
Tool and die makers (NOC 72101)

Frequently asked questions

What is the NOC code for machining tool operators?

Machining tool operators are NOC 2021 unit group 94106. Example job titles in this group include aircraft parts etcher, boring mill operator - metal machining, computer numerical control (CNC) machining tool operator, lathe machining operator.

What TEER is NOC 94106?

NOC 94106 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.