NOC 72100: Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors

Machinists set up and operate a variety of machine tools to cut or grind metal, plastic or other materials to make or modify parts or products with precise dimensions. Machining and tooling inspectors inspect machined parts and tooling in order to maintain quality control standards. They are employed by machinery, equipment, motor vehicle, automotive parts, aircraft and other metal products manufacturing companies and by machine shops. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 2.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: an eligible skilled trade (2 years in the last 5 years).
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

TEER 2: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory duties. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

• Trade occupations

  At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 72100

Skilled Canadian work in this occupation earns the standard points, the same before and after November 3, 2026, with no high-wage add-on:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Machinists
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, charts and tables or study sample parts to determine machining operation to be performed, and plan best sequence of operations
• Compute dimensions and tolerances and measure and lay out work pieces
• Set up, operate and maintain a variety of machine tools including computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools to perform precision, non-repetitive machining operations such as sawing, turning, milling, boring, planing, drilling, precision grinding and other operations
• Fit and assemble machined metal parts and subassemblies using hand and power tools
• Verify dimensions of products for accuracy and conformance to specifications using precision measuring instruments
• May set up and program machine tools for use by machining tool operators.
• Machining and tooling inspectors
• Verify dimensions of machined parts or tooling using micrometers, verniers, callipers, height gauges, optical comparators, coordinate measuring machines (CMM) or other specialized measuring instruments
• Maintain, repair and calibrate precision measuring instruments such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, height gauges and other measuring devices
• Report deviations from specifications and tolerances to supervisor
• Complete and maintain inspection reports.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• automotive machinist
• aviation machinist
• general machinist
• machine shop inspector
• machined parts inspector
• machining inspector
• machinist
• machinist apprentice
• tooling inspector

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of a four-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some college and industry courses in machining may be required for trade certification.
• Trade certification for machinists is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories.
• Trade certification for tool and gauge inspectors is available, but voluntary, in Ontario.
• Trade certification for machinists (CNC) is available, but voluntary, in New Brunswick, Quebec and Manitoba.
• Several years of experience as a machinist, tool and die maker or machining tool operator may be required for machining and tooling inspectors.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified machinists upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 22302Computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) programmer
• 72010Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
• 94106Machining tool operators
• 72101Tool and die makers