For 2029, Quebec's official report counts 20 occupations in shortage in the Montreal region and 35 in the Montreal metropolitan area. Health dominates both lists: family physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, technologists, psychologists. Teachers, early childhood educators and social workers come next, along with some engineering and mechanical technicians. If you live in Laval, on the South Shore or the North Shore, also check the metropolitan list.
1. Two territories, two lists
This guide uses the same source as our guide In-demand jobs in Quebec: the report Labour market balance in the short and medium term, 2026 edition (in French only) from the Quebec government. For each of 516 occupations, it says whether the expected workforce will be enough to meet employers' needs. An occupation in shortage or slight shortage offers excellent job prospects for people who have the required qualifications.
The report gives two diagnoses for Montreal. The Montreal region is the administrative region. The Montreal metropolitan area (census metropolitan area, or CMA) is larger and also includes neighbouring municipalities. Since many people work in a region other than the one they live in, the report advises people in regions partly included in the metropolitan area to also check its diagnoses.
| Diagnosis for 2029 | Montreal region | Montreal metropolitan area |
|---|---|---|
| Shortage | 20 | 35 |
| Slight shortage | 132 | 154 |
| Balance | 204 | 199 |
| Slight surplus | 14 | 10 |
2. The 20 occupations in shortage in the Montreal region
The table follows the report's order. Each occupation links to its official profile on Québec.ca (tasks, hourly wage, prospects by region). The training column comes from the second digit of the NOC code, Statistics Canada's TEER category: TEER 1 means a university degree, TEER 2 a college program of 2 to 3 years or an apprenticeship, and TEER 5 short on-the-job training. The last column gives the diagnosis for the metropolitan area.
Nineteen of these 20 occupations are also in shortage for Quebec as a whole. The exception is meat cutters and fishmongers, in shortage in the Montreal region but in slight shortage across Quebec.
| Occupation (NOC code) | Usual training required (TEER) | Montreal metropolitan area |
|---|---|---|
| General practitioners and family physicians (31102) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Occupational therapists (31203) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Medical laboratory technologists (32120) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Medical radiation technologists (32121) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Secondary school teachers (41220) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Social workers (41300) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Early childhood educators and assistants (42202) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities (42203) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (22310) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Psychologists (31200) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (32103) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (41301) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators (72411) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (22301) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Specialists in surgery (31101) | TEER 1: university degree | shortage |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (72404) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | shortage |
| Nurse practitioners (31302) | TEER 1: university degree | slight shortage |
| Meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale (65202) | TEER 5: short on-the-job training | slight shortage |
3. The 17 other occupations in shortage in the metropolitan area
These occupations are in shortage in the metropolitan area but not in the Montreal region itself. Most are in slight shortage in the Montreal region, which still means excellent prospects. Three farm-labour occupations and cardiology technologists have no diagnosis for the Montreal region, according to the report. If you live off the island, these jobs may be closer to you than the Montreal list suggests.
| Occupation (NOC code) | Usual training required (TEER) | Montreal region |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacists (31120) | TEER 1: university degree | slight shortage |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists (32111) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | slight shortage |
| Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (41221) | TEER 1: university degree | slight shortage |
| Welders and related machine operators (72106) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | slight shortage |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (72401) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | slight shortage |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | slight shortage |
| Transport truck drivers (73300) | TEER 3: training of less than 2 years | slight shortage |
| Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers (85121) | TEER 5: short on-the-job training | slight shortage |
| Physiotherapists (31202) | TEER 1: university degree | slight shortage |
| Electrical mechanics (72422) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | slight shortage |
| Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (84120) | TEER 4: high school | slight shortage |
| Nursery and greenhouse labourers (85103) | TEER 5: short on-the-job training | no diagnosis |
| Harvesting labourers (85101) | TEER 5: short on-the-job training | no diagnosis |
| Livestock labourers (85100) | TEER 5: short on-the-job training | no diagnosis |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists (32123) | TEER 2: college (2 to 3 years) or apprenticeship | no diagnosis |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102) | TEER 3: training of less than 2 years | slight shortage |
| Furniture and fixture assemblers, finishers, refinishers and inspectors (94210) | TEER 4: high school | slight shortage |
4. Your action list
Here are the concrete steps to check where your trade stands in Montreal. Check each box as you go — your progress is saved if you're signed in.
Your action list
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5. Frequently asked questions
The most common questions about in-demand jobs in Montreal: why the Montreal list is shorter than Quebec's, what the metropolitan area covers, and where to see salaries.
Why does Montreal have fewer occupations in shortage than Quebec as a whole?
The report counts 152 occupations in shortage or slight shortage in the Montreal region, against 206 for Quebec as a whole, and 204 in balance in Montreal. The report doesn't give a single reason per region, so we won't guess one. What's sure: an occupation in slight shortage still offers excellent prospects, and Montreal has 132 of them.
What is the Montreal metropolitan area?
It's the census metropolitan area (CMA) defined by Statistics Canada: Montreal and the neighbouring municipalities closely tied to it, including in other administrative regions. That's why someone living in Laval or on the South Shore should read both lists. Our guide In-demand jobs in Quebec gives the list for Quebec as a whole.
Where can I see a job's wage in Montreal?
Open the occupation's profile in Exploring Trades and Occupations on Québec.ca: each profile shows the hourly wage and the job prospects by region. The links in our tables lead straight to those profiles.
6. See also
These related guides may be useful:
- In-demand jobs in Quebec — the 36 occupations in shortage for Quebec as a whole.
- Free job-search help in Montreal — organizations that help you apply, at no cost.
- Working in Quebec without speaking French — the sectors where English works, mostly in Montreal.
- Recognizing your foreign diplomas in Quebec — the first step if your occupation is regulated.
7. Official sources
For official, up-to-date information, see these sites:
Author's Note: In Montreal, the job market depends a lot on where you draw the line on the map. Read the Montreal list, read the metropolitan list, then look at your trade's profile: those three pages say more than any ranking.
