Snow removal worker in Quebec: pay, hours, licences and how to get hired

By Sandrine Côté · Published October 29, 2026 · 7 min read

A snow removal worker clears a driveway with a snowblower while snow is falling.

It's 3:40 a.m. Your phone buzzes on the nightstand: "We roll out at 4:15, we got 20 cm." Outside, the street is white and silent, and in three hours hundreds of people will want to get their car out. Welcome to snow removal. Here's what a snow removal worker really does in Quebec, what it pays by region, which licences open doors and how to get called back every winter.

What a snow removal worker really does

"Snow removal worker" covers three very different jobs, with different hours, pay and licences.

With a shovel and a snowblower

This is the way in. You clear steps, balconies, driveways and emergency exits, run the snowblower where the plow can't go and spread abrasives. It takes stamina, good boots and an eye for detail: the client notices the missed step right away.

Behind the wheel of a pickup or a truck

You run a "route": a list of residential driveways or parking lots to clear in a set order, often with a blade mounted on a pickup or a heavier truck. You need to know your area by heart and spot the fire hydrants and curbs hidden under the snow.

On a loader or a tractor with a blower

In big parking lots and on municipal contracts, the snow gets pushed, piled and loaded into trucks. This is the top of the pay scale, but it's also the job that takes the most experience and precision. We cover it in detail in Snow blower or loader operator: training, cards and pay.

Do this now: write down which of the three jobs you're aiming for this winter. It will guide everything else, including your profile.

Storm hours: what to expect

In snow removal, the weather sets the schedule. Crews often head out in the middle of the night so driveways are clear before rush hour, and go back out if it's still coming down. The snow, for its part, never checks your calendar.

If you're an employee, Quebec's Act respecting labour standards still protects you. A few rules to know:

Overtime: the standard workweek is 40 hours. Beyond that, each hour is paid at time and a half, a 50% premium (except in cases the law provides for).
Waiting is working: time spent at the workplace at your employer's disposal, waiting for work, counts as time worked, and so does any travel your employer requires.
The 3-hour minimum: if you're called in and work less than three consecutive hours, you're generally entitled to three hours at your regular wage, except in cases of force majeure and certain exceptions (for example, work that is usually done in full in under three hours).
The right to refuse: you can refuse to work more than two hours past your usual daily hours, more than 14 hours in a 24-hour period (12 hours if your hours are variable or non-continuous) or more than 50 hours a week. Careful: this right doesn't apply when there's a danger to public safety or in cases of force majeure, and a major storm can sometimes fall into those cases.

These are general rules: for a specific case, contact the CNESST.

Do this now: start a small notebook (or a note on your phone) where you log every departure and every return. If a paycheque ever looks off, it's your best proof.

What it pays, region by region

Quebec's minimum wage has been $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026. Above that floor, your pay depends mostly on the equipment you drive.

The table below shows the median hourly wages published by the Government of Canada on Job Bank for three snow-removal-related job titles (2023-2024 data, updated in November 2025). The median is the midpoint: half of workers earn more, half earn less.

Region	Snow shovelling and grounds snow removal (NOC 85121)	Road snowplough, public works (NOC 74205)	Wheel loader (NOC 73400)
Province of Quebec	$21.89	$25.86	$36.00
Montreal	$22.88	$25.00	$38.16
Laurentides	$22.00	$27.65	$37.19
Lanaudière	$21.83	$28.00	$39.00
Montérégie	$21.00	$25.00	$39.55
Capitale-Nationale	$22.00	$27.76	$38.56
Côte-Nord	$19.76	$26.00	$36.00

Keep in mind: for shovelling, the gap between regions is small (provincial range of $17.36 to $28.50). A municipal snowplough adds several dollars an hour. The wheel loader column also includes construction operators, so a snow removal position may pay differently. And this data predates the May 2026 increase: it's a ballpark, not a promise.

Do this now: find your region in the table and write down the figure for the job you want. That's your benchmark when you talk pay.

The licences and cards that open doors

You don't need any licence to shovel. But as soon as you want to drive, your driver's licence becomes your business card. Here's what the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) provides:

What you drive	Licence class
Pickup or 2-axle truck with a net mass under 4,500 kg (with or without a blade)	Class 5
Tool vehicle: a vehicle built to perform work, with the work station built into the driver's station, not mounted on a truck chassis	Class 5
Straight truck with 3 or more axles, or 2 axles and a net mass of 4,500 kg or more	Class 3
Heavy vehicle with air brakes	F endorsement, on top of the right class

For a tractor with a snowblower or other special equipment, the class depends on the vehicle and how it's registered: check with the SAAQ before you say "yes, I can drive that."

If you clear roofs, that's a whole other ball game. The CNESST requires workers to be protected against falls as soon as they're exposed to a fall of more than 3 metres, with guardrails or equipment such as a harness attached to an anchor point. It also recommends clearing a sloped roof from the top down.

Do this now: take your licence out of your wallet and check your class and endorsements. Add them to the "cards" section of your profile.

Employee or self-employed?

Many snow removal workers work for a company that provides the equipment and the route. Others have their own pickup, blade and clients. It's not the same job: the self-employed worker sets prices, signs contracts, maintains equipment and has nobody to fill in.

If you're on the fence, read Employee or self-employed? The criteria that matter in Quebec. If you're going for it, your price has to cover fuel, blade wear and the sleepless nights, not just your hours.

On GPP Emploi, both profiles have a place. By turning on "Des contrats à mon compte" (contracts on my own account), you can answer quote requests with your price, sign the contract on the platform and deliver in stages. It's all explained on the self-employed workers page.

Do this now: if you have your own equipment, list what you own (truck, blade, snowblower, spreader). That's the first thing clients will ask about.

Getting hired, and getting called back every winter

Snow removal companies build their crews before the first snow, often starting in the fall (we tell the story of that race in Snow removal: the race for crews before the first snowfall). They want someone reliable, reachable at night and who knows the area. Your profile needs to say so.

On GPP Emploi, you create your profile for free in about 3 minutes, no résumé needed, with the worker form. For snow removal, four steps matter more than the others:

Trades: pick snow removal and spell out what you can do (shovel, snowblower, truck, loader).
Availability: check nights, early mornings and weekends if that's true. It's the heart of the job.
Cards: your driver's licence and its class go in your Passport. Our team checks licences against the public register, then a badge appears.
Location: enter your area. A snow removal worker who lives five minutes from the route is gold to an employer.

Next, browse the job postings and the snow removal trade page. An employer can also invite you directly: the invitation is valid for 7 days, and you stay anonymous until you accept. When the season kicks off, the "Disponible maintenant" (available now) button on your dashboard puts you at the top of employers' lists for 48 hours.

To get called back next winter:

Do: answer the first call, even at 3 a.m., or call back within minutes.
Do: finish the season. Bosses remember who showed up for the March storm.
Avoid: vanishing after the first big snowfall.
Avoid: saying yes to two employers for the same night and hoping it works out.

Do this now: open your profile and make sure your night availability and your licence are in it. That's what makes the difference.

The bottom line

Snow removal rewards reliability more than any diploma: be reachable, be on time and finish the season. Update your profile now, before the first snowfall, and the employers in your area will find you. To see every trade hiring this winter, read Winter jobs in Quebec: the trades hiring from November to March.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a snow removal worker make in Quebec?

According to Job Bank (2023-2024 data), the median hourly wage is about $21.89 for snow shovelling and grounds snow removal, $25.86 for a public works snowplough operator and $36 for a wheel loader operator. The minimum wage has been $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026.

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

A pickup or 2-axle truck with a net mass under 4,500 kg can be driven with a Class 5 licence. A heavier straight truck requires Class 3, and the F endorsement is added if the vehicle has air brakes. For special equipment, check with the SAAQ.

Is overtime paid in snow removal?

Yes, for an employee, hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour week are paid at a 50% premium, except in cases provided for by the Act respecting labour standards. If in doubt, contact the CNESST.

When should you start looking for a snow removal job?

In the fall, before the first snow. Companies want their full crew in place before contracts start. An up-to-date profile with your night availability and your licence puts you in a good position.