Antal Pech was born in Varadolaszi, a small town that belongs to Nagyvarad, in 1822. His father (Antal Janos Pech, 1791-1853) and his grandfather were both carpenters. His mother was of noble origin, but without significant wealth.
He attended catholic primary school and grammar school (in Latin) in Nagyvarad, then studied in Temesvar for two years, this time in German. Because his father lost all his money, he had to walk all the way to Selmec, where he joined the Academy. Here he didn’t have to pay for tuition, and also managed to get a scholarship. Education here was in German language.
He graduated in 1842, with an excellent result. He started working at the local stamping mill as an apprentice by Peter Hittinger. His family also moved there, so his brother Jozsef could study as well. The chamber sent him to Joachimstal to supervise the equipment of a stamping mill in 1847.

As a result of his participation in the revolution of 1848-49 (as an executive of the Kossuth government), he wasn’t able to find a job in Hungary. He moved to Bohemia in the spring of 1850, where he started working at the coalmine of Klostergrab (Hroby) than from the summer of 1851 at Mahrich-Ostrau.
In 1855 he became the director of the coalmine by Schatzlar (Zacler).
In 1857 he became the director at one of the most significant plants of the Ruhr-region in Bochum. Here he participated in founding the Mining Union (Bergbauverein) of the local mining, iron and steel plants around Dortmund. The plant under his coordination successfully survived the economical crisis.

In 1862 he returned to Hungary. He introduced innovations and new technologies in mines and foundries all over Hungary.

Between 1873 and 1889 he was the director of the mine at Selmecbanya. He was the first in Hungary to use mechanical drilling when finishing the tunnel II. Jozsef. With the help of drilling machines using compressed air, in 3 and a half years they managed to build a 2326 meter long tunnel. The tunnel was handed over on the 21st October 1878. He was elected the freeman of Selmec, and in 1879 he received the Cross of the Lipot-order. Although he was invited back to his previous position in Bochum with much better conditions, he still stayed home in Hungary.

He retired in 1889, and was elected the Member of Parliament of the Selmec-Belabanya free royal mining towns. He was a founding and board member of the Orszagos Magyar Banyaszati es Kohaszati Egyesulet (Hungarian Mining and Metallurgical Association, OMBKE) founded in 1892.