What Temp Workers Cost in Montréal: Bill Rates for the Holiday Peak
In Greater Montréal, a temporary general labourer booked through an agency typically bills somewhere around $24 to $32 an hour this fall, and a warehouse worker with forklift experience more often lands around $28 to $38. Those are rough market ranges, not quotes. The number on your proposal depends on the pay rate the role needs to attract people, the agency's markup, the shift pattern and how much notice you give.
The rest of this guide breaks down where that number comes from, which Québec rules push it in one direction or another, and how to read a proposal before the November and December rush.
How a bill rate is built
Every agency bill rate has two parts: what the worker is paid, and everything on top.
The pay rate. This is the floor. It has to be at least Québec's general minimum wage (which is reviewed every May 1), but in practice it is set by what workers will accept for that job, in that area, at that time of year. Pickers in a Saint-Laurent distribution centre and event setup crews downtown compete for many of the same people, and in late fall everyone is hiring.
The markup. On top of pay, the agency covers the employer costs that come with being the employer of record, plus its own overhead and margin. In Québec those employer costs include:
- CNESST workers' compensation premiums, which vary a lot by industry classification (a warehouse role and a reception role are not rated the same)
- Québec Pension Plan contributions
- Employment Insurance premiums
- Québec Parental Insurance Plan contributions
- The Health Services Fund contribution
- The labour standards levy
- Vacation pay (4% for most short assignments) and statutory holiday pay
Once those statutory costs are covered, the remaining margin pays for recruiting, scheduling, payroll processing and replacements. Our piece on the true cost of a temp worker versus a direct hire goes through that math line by line.
Typical ranges by role in Greater Montréal
These are rough ranges seen across the Montréal, Laval and Longueuil market for weekday daytime shifts in fall. Treat them as a starting point for budgeting only.
| Role | Typical bill rate range (per hour) | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| General labour, cleanup, moving help | $24 to $32 | Physical demands, outdoor work, French or bilingual requirement |
| Warehouse picker, packer, loader | $25 to $33 | RF scanner experience, freezer or cold dock work, rate targets |
| Forklift or reach truck operator | $28 to $38 | Valid operator training card, equipment type, night shift |
| Event setup and teardown | $25 to $34 | Late nights, short notice, heavy staging or AV handling |
| Production line operator | $25 to $34 | Food plant hygiene rules, line speed, rotating shifts |
| Construction helper | $28 to $38 | Required site safety training, tools, travel to site |
A few patterns hold across most of these:
- Nights and weekends cost more, because the pay rate needed to fill them is higher.
- Short notice costs more. A crew booked two weeks ahead is easier to staff than one requested on a Friday afternoon for Saturday.
- Specific requirements narrow the pool. Bilingual workers, cold storage tolerance, or a valid forklift card all reduce the number of people who can take the shift.
- Volume and length can bring the rate down. A recurring schedule over several weeks gives the agency predictable hours and usually earns a better rate than one-off shifts.
Québec rules that shape the quote
Two parts of the Act respecting labour standards matter directly to anyone using agency workers in Montréal.
Equal pay for the same work. Since the 2018 amendments, an agency cannot pay a temporary worker a lower wage than the client's own employees doing the same tasks in the same establishment, solely because of their status as agency workers. If your permanent pickers earn a certain hourly rate, the agency workers beside them doing the same job need to be paid on the same basis. That pay rate then feeds straight into the bill rate. Be ready to share your relevant internal wage scale when you ask for a quote, because a proposal built on a lower pay rate may not hold up.
Shared liability for wages. The client business and the agency are jointly and severally liable for the monetary obligations owed to the worker under the Act. If the agency fails to pay, the worker can claim from you. This is the main reason the cheapest quote is not always the cheapest outcome.
Agency licensing. Personnel placement agencies operating in Québec must hold a licence issued by the CNESST. Ask for the licence number and check it before the first shift. The details are on the CNESST website, and our CNESST compliance guide for temporary workers covers the workers' compensation and safety side.
Minimum call-in pay. Under the Act, a worker who reports to work at the employer's request and works less than three consecutive hours is generally entitled to an indemnity equal to three hours' pay, with some exceptions. Many agencies set a minimum shift of four hours on top of this. If you cancel a crew on arrival because a truck is late, expect to be billed.
Overtime. Hours over 40 in a week are paid at time and a half in Québec under the general rule. If an assignment worker is going to work six long shifts in the run-up to a holiday, ask how overtime is billed before you schedule it.
What else shows up on the invoice
Beyond the hourly rate, check the proposal for:
- Minimum shift length, often four hours
- Cancellation notice, and what you are charged for late cancellations
- Overtime and statutory holiday billing, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day where it applies, and New Year's Day
- Temp-to-hire conversion fees, if you want to keep someone after the assignment
- Who supplies PPE, such as safety boots, gloves, high-visibility vests and cold gear for freezer or dock work
- Parking or transit time for sites that are hard to reach, such as parts of the airport and Lachine industrial areas
None of these are hidden if they are written into the proposal. Problems come from verbal quotes that leave them out.
How to keep the cost down without cutting corners
Book early for November and December. The fall ramp for retail, e-commerce fulfilment and holiday events overlaps every year. Requests sent in October are easier to fill at reasonable rates than ones sent the week of the first big shipment.
Describe the job precisely. "Warehouse worker" covers a lot. "Picker on day shift, RF scanner, ambient temperature, 30 lb lifts, safety boots required" lets the agency match the right people and price it accurately the first time.
Commit to a schedule when you can. Five consecutive weekday shifts for three weeks will usually price better than scattered single shifts.
Do a proper first-day orientation. A worker who leaves after one day because nobody showed them where to report costs you a replacement and a lost half-shift. Our notes on reducing temp worker turnover cover what makes people come back on day two.
Ask for the pay rate as well as the bill rate. A proposal that shows both lets you see whether the pay is competitive enough to fill the shift. A very low bill rate sometimes means a pay rate that will not attract anyone in December.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a temp agency charge per hour in Montréal?
For general labour and warehouse roles in Greater Montréal, typical bill rates this fall fall roughly between $24 and $33 an hour on weekday day shifts, with skilled or equipment roles higher. The actual rate depends on the pay needed to fill the role, shift timing, notice and how long the assignment runs. Always get the rate in writing for your specific job.
Are temp workers in Québec paid the same as permanent staff?
An agency cannot pay a temporary worker less than the client's employees doing the same tasks in the same establishment solely because of their agency status. That rule has applied since the 2018 changes to the Act respecting labour standards. In practice, your internal wage scale for the role is a key input into the quote.
Is the client responsible if the agency does not pay its workers?
Yes, in Québec the client business and the agency are jointly and severally liable for the monetary obligations owed to the worker under the labour standards legislation. That is why checking the agency's CNESST licence and written terms matters before work begins. A low price from an agency with weak payroll practices can end up costing more.
How far in advance should I book holiday season temp staff in Montréal?
For crews of several workers in November and December, October is a sensible time to send the request. Larger crews, night shifts and bilingual requirements take longer to fill. Single gap-fill shifts can sometimes be covered faster, but there is less choice and often a higher rate.
Get a written quote for your site
If you are planning staffing for a warehouse, plant or event in Montréal, Laval or elsewhere in the region, send the roles, headcount, shift times and start date through our quote request form. You get a written proposal with roles, rates, shift minimums and billing terms before anyone is scheduled.