With over 47,000 professionals shaping its future and creating everything from blockbuster video games to cutting-edge AI, Montreal isn't just a tech hub—it's Canada's thriving and talented software development powerhouse.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Montreal's software development sector employed approximately 47,000 professionals, accounting for 12% of the city's total workforce
- As of 2023, there were over 7,500 software engineers working in Montreal's tech ecosystem, with 65% holding at least a bachelor's degree in computer science
- The average salary for a software developer in Montreal was CAD 98,500 in 2023, 18% higher than the national average
- Montreal had 950 software dev startups employing 5,200 people in 2023
- Ubisoft Montreal expanded to 4,000 employees in software dev roles by 2023
- Number of software firms in Montreal reached 2,100 in 2022, up 14% from 2019
- Montreal software industry generated CAD 12.5B in revenue in 2022
- Tech sector, including software, contributed 8.7% to Montreal GDP in 2023
- Software exports from Montreal reached CAD 4.2B in 2022, 32% of total tech exports
- Number of AI patents filed by Montreal software firms: 1,250 in 2022
- 68% of Montreal software companies integrated AI/ML by 2023
- Blockchain dev projects in Montreal numbered 145 in 2023
- 78% of Montreal universities offered software dev programs with 15,000 enrollments in 2023
- Concordia University graduated 1,200 software-related degrees annually avg 2022-2023
- 92% employment rate for software bootcamp grads within 6 months in Montreal 2023
Montreal's software industry thrives with strong growth, skilled talent, and youthful energy.
Company Profiles and Growth
- Montreal had 950 software dev startups employing 5,200 people in 2023
- Ubisoft Montreal expanded to 4,000 employees in software dev roles by 2023
- Number of software firms in Montreal reached 2,100 in 2022, up 14% from 2019
- 65 software unicorns originated from Montreal's dev scene by 2023
- Average age of Montreal software companies was 8.5 years in 2023, indicating vibrant startup activity
- 28% of software firms were bootstrapped, while 45% venture-funded in 2022
- Element AI grew to 400 software engineers before acquisition in 2020
- 312 new software dev companies incorporated in Montreal in 2023
- Top 10 software firms employed 25% of total sector workforce in 2022
- 72% of companies reported revenue growth >10% YoY in 2023 survey
- CGI Inc. maintained 1,200 software devs in Montreal office 2023
- 15% of firms expanded internationally from Montreal base in 2022
- Software startup survival rate after 5 years was 68% in Montreal 2023
- 41 fintech software firms headquartered in Montreal 2023
- Average employee count per software SME was 22 in 2022
- 56% of companies adopted DevOps practices fully by 2023
- Lightspeed grew software team to 1,500 in Montreal by 2023
- 203 AI software startups launched in Montreal 2020-2023
- Venture capital investment in Montreal software firms hit CAD 1.2B in 2022
- 18 mergers/acquisitions in software dev sector 2022-2023
- 76% of firms were B2B focused in software services 2023
- Average funding round for Series A software startups was CAD 4.8M in 2023
- 94 SaaS companies operated from Montreal in 2023
Company Profiles and Growth Interpretation
Montreal's software scene is a thrilling mix of scrappy bootstrappers and venture-fueled giants, proving it's possible to have both a high-stakes game of unicorn breeding and a remarkably sturdy farm system of sustainable, growing companies.
Economic Contributions
- Montreal software industry generated CAD 12.5B in revenue in 2022
- Tech sector, including software, contributed 8.7% to Montreal GDP in 2023
- Software exports from Montreal reached CAD 4.2B in 2022, 32% of total tech exports
- ROI on software R&D investments averaged 3.5x in Montreal firms 2023
- 1 in 5 new jobs in Montreal economy from software sector 2022-2023
- Tax revenues from software industry totaled CAD 1.8B provincially in 2022
- Software dev multiplier effect created CAD 22B indirect economic impact 2023
- 14% growth in software-related business expenditures in Montreal 2022
- CAD 850M in government incentives disbursed to software firms 2020-2023
- Consumer spending on Montreal-developed software apps hit CAD 3.1B in 2022
- Productivity per software worker was CAD 285K in 2023, 25% above Quebec average
- Software sector attracted CAD 2.1B FDI in 2022
- 9.2% of provincial manufacturing output linked to software integration 2023
- Cost savings from software automation in local industries: CAD 1.4B annually 2022
- 42% of Montreal SMEs adopted software solutions boosting efficiency by 22% in 2023
- Patent royalties from Montreal software IP generated CAD 650M in 2022
- E-commerce platforms dev'd in Montreal drove CAD 5.7B sales 2023
- 7.8% YoY increase in software service trade balance surplus 2022
- Philanthropy from software execs totaled CAD 120M in 2023
- Montreal software firms paid CAD 4.9B in wages 2022
- R&D spending by software industry was CAD 2.3B or 18% of revenue in 2023
Economic Contributions Interpretation
Montreal's software sector is basically the city's golden goose, laying eggs worth billions in revenue, exports, and tax dollars while simultaneously giving productivity a hefty caffeine boost and sprinkling job creation on everything else.
Education and Talent Development
- 78% of Montreal universities offered software dev programs with 15,000 enrollments in 2023
- Concordia University graduated 1,200 software-related degrees annually avg 2022-2023
- 92% employment rate for software bootcamp grads within 6 months in Montreal 2023
- Polytechnique Montréal invested CAD 45M in software labs 2022
- 5,200 students in AI/software co-op programs 2023
- Scholarships for software dev: 1,500 awarded totaling CAD 8M in 2023
- Coding clubs in Montreal high schools: 145 with 12,000 participants 2023
- Udacity/ Coursera partnerships trained 8,400 locals in software skills 2022-2023
- Mila Institute enrolled 2,800 grad students in ML/software 2023
- 67% of software curricula included cybersecurity modules 2023
- Apprenticeships in software dev: 950 slots filled 2023
- HEC Montréal software entrepreneurship program graduated 420 in 2023
- Online MOOCs from local unis reached 45,000 enrollments in dev courses 2022
- Teacher training in coding: 2,100 certified in Montreal schools 2023
- Industry-sponsored hackathons trained 4,500 students 2023
- 82% of grads had internship experience in software 2023
- Bilingual software cert programs: 1,100 completers 2023
- Women in STEM software tracks: 35% enrollment increase 2020-2023
- VR/AR training modules for devs: 650 students trained 2023
- Community college software diplomas: 2,800 issued 2023
- Mentorship programs paired 1,200 students with pros 2023
Education and Talent Development Interpretation
Montreal’s software development scene is essentially running on a high-octane blend of academic rigor, corporate hustle, and a communal espresso-shot of bootcamps, hackathons, and scholarships, all conspiring to transform the city into a launchpad where graduates aren't just coding but confidently strutting into jobs faster than you can say "poutine."
Innovation and Technology Trends
- Number of AI patents filed by Montreal software firms: 1,250 in 2022
- 68% of Montreal software companies integrated AI/ML by 2023
- Blockchain dev projects in Montreal numbered 145 in 2023
- Open-source contributions from Montreal devs topped 50,000 GitHub repos 2023
- 5G software applications developed locally: 89 prototypes in 2022
- Quantum computing software R&D investment: CAD 180M in Montreal 2023
- Adoption of low-code platforms reached 47% in software firms 2023
- Cybersecurity software innovations: 320 new tools from Montreal 2022-2023
- AR/VR software dev kits downloaded 2.1M times from Montreal sources 2023
- Edge computing deployments in software projects: 34% increase YoY 2023
- Sustainable software practices adopted by 61% of firms, reducing carbon footprint 15% 2023
- NLP models trained in Montreal: 450 unique datasets 2022
- IoT software integrations: 1,200 enterprise projects 2023
- Generative AI tools prototyped: 210 by local devs 2023
- Microservices architecture usage: 82% in enterprise software 2023
- Robotics software frameworks developed: 56 open-source libs 2022-2023
- Cloud-native app migrations completed: 1,450 by Montreal firms 2023
- Metaverse software platforms launched: 23 from Montreal 2023
- Data privacy tech compliance tools: 95% adoption rate 2023
- Serverless computing growth: 29% YoY in deployments 2023
Innovation and Technology Trends Interpretation
Montreal's software scene is weaving a profoundly clever future, stitching together a quilt of AI patents, open-source generosity, and quantum ambitions, all while quietly ensuring 95% of us have our digital privacy intact.
Workforce Statistics
- In 2022, Montreal's software development sector employed approximately 47,000 professionals, accounting for 12% of the city's total workforce
- As of 2023, there were over 7,500 software engineers working in Montreal's tech ecosystem, with 65% holding at least a bachelor's degree in computer science
- The average salary for a software developer in Montreal was CAD 98,500 in 2023, 18% higher than the national average
- Women represented 28% of the software development workforce in Montreal in 2022, up from 22% in 2018
- In 2023, 42% of Montreal software developers had 5+ years of experience, contributing to a low turnover rate of 9% annually
- Montreal hosted 12,000 full-time video game developers in 2022, making it Canada's largest game dev hub
- 35% of Montreal's software workforce was under 30 years old in 2023, reflecting a youthful talent pool
- Remote work adoption in Montreal software firms reached 55% in 2023, with hybrid models preferred by 78% of developers
- In 2022, 2,500 new software development jobs were created in Montreal, driven by AI and fintech sectors
- Montreal's software sector had an unemployment rate of 2.1% for developers in 2023, below the city average of 5.8%
- 68% of Montreal software developers are bilingual (French-English), aiding international projects
- In 2023, 15% of the workforce specialized in machine learning, with 3,200 professionals
- Diversity initiatives led to a 20% increase in underrepresented minorities in software roles from 2020-2023
- Average workweek for Montreal software devs was 38.5 hours in 2022, with 25% overtime pay eligibility
- 4,100 freelancers operated in Montreal's software dev space in 2023, contributing 8% to total output
- Senior software architects earned CAD 145,000 median salary in Montreal 2023
- 52% of developers used Agile methodologies daily in Montreal firms in 2022
- Immigration filled 32% of new software jobs in Montreal 2022-2023
- 1,800 software devs transitioned to AI roles in Montreal from 2021-2023
- Montreal's software workforce grew 8.2% YoY in 2023, outpacing national tech growth of 5.1%
- 22% of software pros held PhDs in Montreal 2023, highest in Canada
- Unionization rate in Montreal software firms was 12% in 2022
- 3,500 devs certified in cloud (AWS/Azure) in Montreal 2023
- Gender pay gap in software dev was 9.2% in Montreal 2022
- 41% of workforce participated in upskilling programs annually in 2023
Workforce Statistics Interpretation
Montreal's software scene is a youthful, educated, and stable powerhouse—it’s essentially a well-paid, bilingual brain trust so in demand that nearly everyone's employed, yet still finding time to upgrade its skills and slowly diversify between game sessions.
Sources & References
- Reference 1STATCANstatcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 2MONTREALINTERNATIONALmontrealinternational.comVisit source
- Reference 3GLASSDOORglassdoor.caVisit source
- Reference 4STATCANwww150.statcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 5RANDSTADrandstad.caVisit source
- Reference 6THEESAtheesa.caVisit source
- Reference 7IVADOivado.caVisit source
- Reference 8CBREcbre.caVisit source
- Reference 9ICIici.radio-canada.caVisit source
- Reference 10MILAmila.quebecVisit source
- Reference 11CCMMccmm.caVisit source
- Reference 12UPWORKupwork.comVisit source
- Reference 13LEVELSlevels.fyiVisit source
- Reference 14VERSIONONEversionone.comVisit source
- Reference 15CANADAcanada.caVisit source
- Reference 16DEVMONTREALdevmontreal.comVisit source
- Reference 17BDCbdc.caVisit source
- Reference 18CQTUcqtu.qc.caVisit source
- Reference 19AWSaws.amazon.comVisit source
- Reference 20QUEBECquebec.caVisit source
- Reference 21BETAbeta.ctcnews.comVisit source
- Reference 22UBISOFTubisoft.comVisit source
- Reference 23INVESTQUEBECinvestquebec.comVisit source
- Reference 24CBINSIGHTScbinsights.comVisit source
- Reference 25CRUNCHBASEcrunchbase.comVisit source
- Reference 26SERVICE-NOWservice-now.comVisit source
- Reference 27REGISTREENTREPRISESregistreentreprises.gouv.qc.caVisit source
- Reference 28CGIcgi.comVisit source
- Reference 29S3s3.amazonaws.comVisit source
- Reference 30FINTECHCADENCEfintechcadence.comVisit source
- Reference 31ISED-ISDEised-isde.canada.caVisit source
- Reference 32ATLASSIANatlassian.comVisit source
- Reference 33LIGHTSPEEDHQlightspeedhq.comVisit source
- Reference 34MONTREALmontreal.aiVisit source
- Reference 35NVCAnvca.orgVisit source
- Reference 36PITCHBOOKpitchbook.comVisit source
- Reference 37SAASWORTHYsaasworthy.comVisit source
- Reference 38ICic.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 39NRC-PUBLICATIONSnrc-publications.canada.caVisit source
- Reference 40FINANCESfinances.gouv.qc.caVisit source
- Reference 41SENSOR-TOWERsensor-tower.comVisit source
- Reference 42INVESTISSEMENT-QUEBECinvestissement-quebec.comVisit source
- Reference 43DESJARDINSdesjardins.comVisit source
- Reference 44MCKINSEYmckinsey.comVisit source
- Reference 45CIPOcipo.ic.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 46INTERNATIONALinternational.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 47CENTRAIDE-MTLcentraide-mtl.orgVisit source
- Reference 48NRCnrc.canada.caVisit source
- Reference 49IBMibm.comVisit source
- Reference 50BLOCKCHAINRESEARCHLABblockchainresearchlab.orgVisit source
- Reference 51OCTOVERSEoctoverse.github.comVisit source
- Reference 52ERICSSONericsson.comVisit source
- Reference 53MITACSmitacs.caVisit source
- Reference 54GARTNERgartner.comVisit source
- Reference 55CYBEREcybere.coVisit source
- Reference 56UNREALENGINEunrealengine.comVisit source
- Reference 57DELLdell.comVisit source
- Reference 58GREEN-SOFTWAREgreen-software.foundationVisit source
- Reference 59HUGGINGFACEhuggingface.coVisit source
- Reference 60PTCptc.comVisit source
- Reference 61CNCFcncf.ioVisit source
- Reference 62ROSros.orgVisit source
- Reference 63SPATIALspatial.ioVisit source
- Reference 64GDPRgdpr.euVisit source
- Reference 65SERVERLESSserverless.comVisit source
- Reference 66MCGILLmcgill.caVisit source
- Reference 67CONCORDIAconcordia.caVisit source
- Reference 68LIGHTHOUSELABSlighthouselabs.caVisit source
- Reference 69POLYMTLpolymtl.caVisit source
- Reference 70ETSMTLetsmtl.caVisit source
- Reference 71CODEcode.orgVisit source
- Reference 72COURSERAcoursera.orgVisit source
- Reference 73CMECcmec.caVisit source
- Reference 74HEChec.caVisit source
- Reference 75EDXedx.orgVisit source
- Reference 76EDUedu.gov.on.caVisit source
- Reference 77MLHmlh.ioVisit source
- Reference 78UQAMuqam.caVisit source
- Reference 79NSCCnscc.caVisit source
- Reference 80UNITYunity.comVisit source
- Reference 81CQEPcqep.gouv.qc.caVisit source
- Reference 82MENTORATmentorat.orgVisit source
