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Trades and pay

Mover: pay, seasons and physical demands

By · Published · 8 min read

Two movers carrying a sofa down an outdoor spiral staircase of a Montreal triplex in summer

July 1, 7:15 a.m. The truck is already hot, the third-floor client with no elevator is waiting, and two more moves are lined up before supper. Welcome to the moving trade: it pays well when you're organized and wears you out when you're not. Here's the real picture: the seasons, the pay, the tips and the habits that protect your back for years.

July 1, seen from inside the truck

In Quebec, a huge number of residential leases start on July 1. The result: for a few days, everyone moves at the same time. Moving companies run from sunrise to sunset, sometimes with two or three clients per crew on the same day. It's the period with the most hours to work, and the one where your body pays the highest price.

The peak isn't limited to one date. It starts at the end of June, carries into the first days of July, then comes back on a smaller scale at the end of every month, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. A typical rush day looks like this:

  • Early start, loading the gear: dollies, blankets, straps, plastic wrap.
  • First client: winding outdoor staircases, appliances, boxes that aren't taped shut.
  • Quick lunch in the truck, often on the way to the second client.
  • Second or third client: same work, with heat and fatigue thrown in.
  • Back to the yard, unloading the gear, getting ready for the next day.

If you want to log a lot of hours in a short time, this is your season. If you need a steady schedule, know that June and July won't give you one.

Do it today: look at your calendar for next summer and block the last weeks of June and the first days of July if you want to work them. Employers plan their peak crews months in advance.

Winter: less volume, but not zero

Moving doesn't stop in November. It changes shape. People move all year long because of a house sale, a separation, a new job, a move into a seniors' residence or an estate that needs to be emptied. Businesses and offices often prefer to move outside the summer, when crews are available.

What changes in winter is the terrain:

  • Icy driveways and stairs that need de-icing before you carry anything.
  • Doors left open for a long time: protect floors with mats and blankets.
  • Shorter days: you often load in the dark.
  • Layered clothing, gloves that keep their grip and non-slip boots.

Many movers also fill their winter with a second seasonal trade: snow removal, delivery or building maintenance. To see what snow removal pays and which licences it requires, read Snow removal worker in Quebec: pay, hours, licences and how to get hired. And for your rights when you work outside in the cold, Working in the cold: rights, breaks and equipment to demand covers the question.

Do it today: ask your current or future employer how many hours they expect to offer from November to March. If the answer is vague, plan a backup for the winter.

Pay: what the official numbers say

The Quebec government groups movers with material handlers (code 75101 in the National Occupational Classification). That group also includes warehouse workers, so treat these numbers as a benchmark, not a promise. According to Québec.ca, the hourly wage for this group, calculated as the average of 2023 to 2025 wages, breaks down like this:

BenchmarkHourly wage
Minimum$17.00
Median$22.00
Maximum$31.81

Regional data from the Government of Canada's Job Bank (2023-2024 period, 2024 estimate for Montérégie) shows differences from one region to another. For example, the median wage for material handlers is $20.80 in the Laurentides, $21.00 in Montréal and Laval, $22.23 in Capitale-Nationale and $23.28 in Montérégie.

Whatever the region, the floor is still the minimum wage: $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026. What moves you up the scale:

  • A driver's licence: a mover who can drive the truck is worth more than one who has to be driven.
  • The crew lead role: estimating time, talking to the client, organizing the load.
  • Special items: pianos, safes, medical equipment, artwork.
  • Reliability: the person who shows up on time in July gets called first in August.

If you're an employee and you work more than 40 hours in a week, the extra hours are paid at a 50% premium (some exceptions exist; check your situation with the CNESST). In the middle of the July peak, that detail matters.

Do it today: write your current hourly rate next to the median wage for your region. If it's below the median and you have your licence, that's a solid argument for your next conversation.

Tips: who they belong to

In moving, tips are common but never guaranteed. A happy client after a third floor with no elevator sometimes slips the crew a bill. Good news: Quebec's Act respecting labour standards is clear. A tip paid by a client belongs to the employee who provided the service, and the employer can't impose tip sharing among employees. If employees decide on their own to share, that arrangement must come from their free and voluntary consent.

Another important point: the tipped minimum wage ($13.30 an hour since May 1, 2026) doesn't apply to movers. Under the Regulation respecting labour standards, it covers employees who customarily receive tips and work in a restaurant, a bar, a tourist accommodation establishment or a business that sells, delivers or serves meals. Your employer must therefore pay you at least the general rate of $16.60 an hour, tips or no tips.

Do: politely let the client know at the end that everything went well and their furniture is in place. Avoid: asking for a tip or making the client feel they owe you one. Nothing cools a client down faster.

Do it today: keep a simple record of your tips (date, amount). They're income, and you'll know exactly what they add to your summer pay.

Your body is your first tool

Movers don't always get hurt lifting the fridge. Often, it's the fortieth box of books, picked up while twisting, at the end of a long day. The job is physical, and it'll stay that way. The difference between a mover who lasts ten years and one who quits after two summers is technique.

Checklist before every lift:

  • Look at the path before lifting: steps, thresholds, rugs, a door that swings shut.
  • Use the dolly, shoulder straps and carts whenever you can.
  • Keep the load close to your body, bend your knees, don't twist your trunk: turn with your feet.
  • Team up for heavy or bulky items, and agree on a signal before lifting.
  • Take apart whatever comes apart: table legs, drawers, cabinet doors.
  • Drink water and take short breaks, especially on hot days.

Your employer has obligations too. Quebec's Act respecting occupational health and safety requires them, among other things, to provide safe equipment and keep it in good condition, to properly inform you of the risks of your work and give you appropriate training and supervision, and to supply the required personal protective equipment free of charge. The fridge will never make an effort for you: that's the dolly's job.

Do it today: before your next shift, check the condition of your safety shoes and gloves. If your employer doesn't supply a dolly or straps in good shape, ask before the next busy day.

Getting into the trade and finding work

Moving is one of the service trades you can get into without a specific diploma. What employers look at: your physical fitness, your punctuality, how you treat clients' belongings and, more and more, your driver's licence. According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), a Class 5 licence lets you drive a 2-axle vehicle with a net mass under 4,500 kg. A 2-axle truck of 4,500 kg or more, or a truck with 3 or more axles, requires Class 3. The same goes for delivery work: Delivery driver: licence, vehicle and pay covers it in detail.

On GPP Emploi, you create your profile in about 3 minutes, without a résumé. You list your trades, your region, your availability and your cards, like your driver's licence. Your name and cell number stay hidden: the employer sees an anonymous profile and sends you an invitation, and you're the one who accepts or declines. You can also turn on the "Available now" button, which puts you at the top of employers' lists for 48 hours. Handy at the end of June, when companies are looking for last-minute help.

Prefer to work for yourself with your own truck? Turn on "Contracts on my own" in your profile: you'll be able to answer requests for quotes with your price.

Do it today: create your free profile, add your driver's licence to your cards, then take a look at the job offers and the profiles in demand in the moving section.

The bottom line

Moving pays better when you drive, know how to organize a load and your back makes it through the season. Take your licence seriously, protect your body like a work tool and plan your winter before July 1.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a mover make in Quebec?

The Quebec government groups movers with material handlers. According to Québec.ca, the hourly wage for that group, averaged over 2023 to 2025, ranges from $17.00 to $31.81, with a median of $22.00. A driver's licence, experience and a crew lead role push the rate up.

Do movers get to keep their tips in Quebec?

Yes. Under Quebec's Act respecting labour standards, a tip paid by a client belongs to the employee who provided the service. The employer can't impose tip sharing among employees.

Does the tipped minimum wage apply to movers?

No. The tipped rate of $13.30 an hour covers employees who customarily receive tips in restaurants, bars, tourist accommodation or businesses that sell and deliver meals. A mover who is an employee must receive at least the general rate of $16.60 an hour.

What licence do you need to drive a moving truck in Quebec?

According to the SAAQ, a 2-axle vehicle with a net mass under 4,500 kg can be driven with a Class 5 licence. A 2-axle truck of 4,500 kg or more, or a truck with 3 or more axles, requires Class 3. Always check the specific vehicle with your employer and the SAAQ.

Is there moving work in winter?

Yes, but less than in summer. House sales, office moves, moves into seniors' residences and estates keep going all year. Many movers round out their winter with snow removal, delivery or building maintenance.

Sources

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