What are the prevailing wages for NOC 94152 across major Canadian cities?

According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 94152 (Binding and finishing machine operators) is $23.81/hr in Montréal, $22/hr in Toronto, $21.46/hr in Calgary, $21.49/hr in Edmonton, $23.88/hr in Vancouver.

NOC 94152: Binding and finishing machine operators

Official definition · Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 · statcan.gc.ca ↗

Binding and finishing machine operators set up, operate or oversee the operation of machines, equipment or computerized units that bind and finish printed material. Workers who perform finishing operations in the paper, carton and packaging industries, as well as those who encode and stamp plastic cards, are included in this unit group. They are employed by binderies, commercial printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies, and establishments in both the public and private sectors that have in-house printing, binding and finishing departments.

Median Pay$22/hrPrevailing median rate

TEER LevelLevel 4PNP streams

Priority StreamGeneral StreamCategory draws

Official Titles86 TitlesGovernment aliases

Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 94152

Select the duties you perform in your actual job. Under IRCC guidelines, you must perform at least 60% of these duties for a successful work permit or PR reference letter.

🔎 Check Your Company Job Title86 official aliases

Checklist (6 official duties):Click each to toggle

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IRCC Reference Letter Rule:

Your employer reference letter must confirm you performed the main actions described in the duties above. Avoid copying words directly from the NOC description — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 4 More

0 of 6 selected

0%60% Recommended100%

Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 94152, your employer letter should verify at least 4 main duties. Select 4 more to see if your experience matches.

Minimum Needed4 Duties

Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 94152

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Binding and finishing machine operators is categorized under TEER 4. Occupations in this tier typically require secondary school graduation or job-specific on-the-job training.

Express Entry Alignment

Classified under TEER 4, meaning this occupation does not qualify for direct Express Entry general pools. Candidates should focus on employer-driven Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or federal pilot pathways.

Target Category Status

Currently evaluated under standard General and CEC invitation rounds, or targeted through provincial in-demand lists such as Ontario (OINP), British Columbia (BC PNP), or Alberta (AAIP).

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

Open Full NOC Converter Tool→

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, this occupation was mapped under the following 4-digit code(s). When preparing your Express Entry profile or work reference letters, you must use the new 5-digit code NOC 94152.

Former NOC 94734-Digit Legacy

Binding and finishing machine operators

VC1 - Code Change

Job Bank Open Data (2025/2026)

Regional Wages Across Canada

Legal Benchmark for LMIA

Under Canadian immigration law, an employer hiring you under an LMIA must pay you at least the median wage listed below for your province.

Province / Territory	Low Wage	Median Wage	High Wage
Canada (National Average)	$18.26	$22/hr	$31.48
Nova Scotia →	$17.95/hr	$21.87/hr	$27.21/hr
New Brunswick →	$18.04/hr	$23.47/hr	$27.68/hr
Quebec →	$19.35/hr	$23.17/hr	$30.49/hr
Ontario →	$17.6/hr	$22/hr	$31.01/hr
Manitoba →	$18.26/hr	$20.5/hr	$24/hr
Saskatchewan →	$18.13/hr	$22.93/hr	$28.09/hr
Alberta →	$19.48/hr	$22.5/hr	$27.09/hr
British Columbia →	$19.55/hr	$23.21/hr	$29.38/hr

🏙️Top Metropolitan Cities Wage Rates (ESDC 2025/2026)

Economic Region Benchmarks

Official ESDC prevailing median wages across major Canadian metropolitan regions. Crucial for LMIA prevailing wage compliance and local job offer evaluations.

Montréal

$23.81/hr

$20.01 - $28.97

Toronto

$22/hr

$17.6 - $31.01

Calgary

$21.46/hr

$19.17 - $28.75

Edmonton

$21.49/hr

$19.24 - $27.65

Vancouver

$23.88/hr

$20.74 - $30.11

Employment Requirements

These are the education, training, and certification standards usually required by Canadian employers for this occupation:

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology or a combination of on-the-job training and specialized college, industry or other courses may be required.

Official Job Titles for NOC 94152

86 Titles Listed

If your current job title matches any of these official examples, this NOC code is likely the right choice for your Express Entry reference letter:

binder - printingbinder and finisherbindery operatorbookbinding machine operatorCerlox binder operatorcutter operator - printingfinishing machine operator - printingfoil stamper - printinggathering machine set-up operator - printinggold leaf stamperlaminating machine operatormachine bookbinderperforator operator - printingstitcher operator - printingassistant binderassistant bookbinderbinder and finisher - printingbinder assistantbindery machine operator - printingbindery worker - printingbinding and finishing machine operatorblocking press operator - printingblocking press stamper - printingbook finisher - printingbook trimmerbookbinder - printingbookbinder assistantbook-cutting machine operatorbook-sewing machine operator - printingbronzer - printingbronzing machine tender - printingcasing-in machine set-up operator - printingcasing-in machine tender - printingCerlox binder operator - printingcollating machine operator - printingcontinuous glue machine operator - printingcovering machine operator - printingcredit card die-cutter operator - printingcutting machine operator - printingcutting machine operator, booksdesign and lettering stamper - printingdie-cutting or die-numbering press operator - printingdie-cutting platen press operator - printingembossing press operator - printingembossing press tender - printingembossing/encoding machine tender - printingfoil-stamping platen press operatorfolder operator - printingfolding machine operator - printinggathering machine operator - printinggluing and folding machine operator - printinggold leaf stamper - printingguillotine cutter - printingguillotine operator - printinghand stitcher - bindingheadband and liner gluer - printinghologram-imprinting machine tenderindustrial binder - printinginserting machine operator - printinglaminating machine operator - printingmachine binder - printingmachine bronzer - printingmachine collator and gluer - printingmachine cutter - printingmachine folder - printingmachine gatherer and gluer - printingmachine side stitcher - printingmachine stitcher - bindingnumbering machine operator - printingperfect-binder operator - printingperfect-binder set-up operator - printingperforating machine operator - printingperforating machine tender - printingperforator tender - printingplaten press operator, foil stampingrounding and backing machine operator - printingsaddle stitching machine operator - printingsaddle stitching machine set-up operator - printingside stitching machine operator - printingspiral binding machine operator - printingspiral binding worker - printingstamping press operator - printingstitcher set-up operator - printingstitcher-trimmer operator - printingstitching machine operator - printingstitching machine set-up operator - printing

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

Check this list to make sure your actual job is not classified under one of these related codes:

Feeder - printing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)View NOC 95109→
Hand bookbinder (See 53124 Artisans and craftspersons)View NOC 53124→
Offbearer - printing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)View NOC 95109→
Pocket-folding machine feeder-loader - printing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)View NOC 95109→
Printing press operators (See 73401 Printing press operators)View NOC 73401→
Supervisors, printing and related occupations (See 72022 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)View NOC 72022→

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 94152 (Binding and finishing machine operators)

Essential answers regarding Express Entry eligibility, LMIA prevailing wage compliance, and official reference letter rules.

NOC 94152 is in TEER 4, which is not directly eligible for standard Express Entry pools. However, you can apply through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams or employer-sponsored work permits.

For an LMIA work permit, your employer must offer at least the median wage of $22/hr (or the prevailing median rate in your specific Canadian province of employment).

Under Section 75(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), your employment reference letter must confirm you perform the actions in the lead statement and a substantial number (recommended at least 60%) of the official main duties listed above. You do not need to perform 100% of the duties.

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, Binding and finishing machine operators was categorized under NOC 9473 (Binding and finishing machine operators). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 94152 under TEER 4.

According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 94152 is $23.81/hr in Montréal, $22/hr in Toronto, $21.46/hr in Calgary, $21.49/hr in Edmonton, $23.88/hr in Vancouver.

Because TEER 4 is not eligible for direct Express Entry, your best routes are employer-supported Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams (such as SINP in Saskatchewan, AAIP in Alberta, or MPNP in Manitoba) or federal pilot programs like the Agri-Food Pilot.

Topic Cluster • Manufacturing and Utilities

Related Occupations & Alternative Career Codes

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If your daily responsibilities for Binding and finishing machine operators overlap with other roles, compare duties and prevailing salaries across these closely related NOC codes:

NOC 94151

TEER 4

Camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations

Camera and platemaking workers operate graphic arts cameras and scanners, assemble film and negatives and prepare, engrave and etch printing plates or cylinders for various types of printing presses. They are employed in firms that specialize in colour graphics or platemaking and cylinder preparation, commercial publishing and printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and in various establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments.

Median Pay$25.85/hr

Duties→

NOC 94153

TEER 4

Photographic and film processors

Photographic and film processors process and finish still photographic film and motion picture film. They are employed in film processing laboratories and retail photofinishing establishments.

Median Pay$20/hr

Duties→

NOC 94150

TEER 4

Plateless printing equipment operators

Plateless printing equipment operators operate laser printers, computerized high speed colour copiers and other printing machines to print text, illustrations and designs on a wide variety of materials such as paper, plastic, glass, leather, and metal. They are employed in rapid printing services, newspaper and magazine publishing companies, commercial printing companies and in manufacturing and other establishments that have in-house printing facilities.

Median Pay$21/hr

Duties→

NOC 94143

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Testers and graders, food and beverage processing

Testers and graders in food and beverage processing test or grade ingredients and finished food or beverage products to ensure conformance to company standards. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, fish plants, meat plants, breweries and other food and beverage processing plants.

Median Pay$25/hr

Duties→

NOC 90010

TEER 0

Manufacturing managers

Manufacturing managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of a manufacturing establishment or of a production department within a manufacturing establishment, under the direction of a general manager or other senior manager. They are employed by manufacturing companies.

Median Pay$52.82/hr

Utilities managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of utility companies or services of heating fuel distribution companies. The services provided include treatment of water and waste, distribution of water, electricity, natural gas and heating oil to residential, commercial and industrial consumers, waste disposal and waste recycling. They are employed in public and private sector utilities and in heating fuel distribution companies.

Median Pay$61/hr

Duties→

Next Steps for NOC 94152

Check Your Express Entry Score & Latest Cutoffs

Calculate your exact Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for NOC 94152, explore your TEER 4 immigration pathways, and check recent draw cutoffs.

Calculate CRS Score →View Draw Trends →TEER 4 Guide →

NOC data: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0

Wages: ESDC Job Bank 2025/2026 Open Data

·Last verified: September 2026