NOC 13200: Customs, ship and other brokers
What customs, ship and other brokers do
Customs brokers clear goods through customs and to their destination on behalf of importer and exporter clients. Shipbrokers buy and sell cargo space on ships and buy and sell ships, yachts and other watercraft on behalf of clients. This unit group also includes other brokers who negotiate commercial transactions, logistics or other services, not elsewhere classified, between parties on behalf of clients. They are employed by customs, ship or other brokerage establishments or may be self-employed.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Customs brokers
- Prepare and process import/export documents and other forms on behalf of clients according to customs regulations, laws and procedures
- Sign import/export documents on behalf of client, using power of attorney
- Arrange for payment of duties, taxes, storage and transportation of imported goods and bonds to cover duty goods
- Quote duty and tax rates on commodities for clients
- Provide advice to clients on export and import restrictions, tariff systems, letters of credit, insurance requirements and other custom related matters
- May represent client before administrative tribunals or in other dealings with government officials.
- Shipbrokers
- Buy and sell cargo space on ships on behalf of individuals, companies and governments
- Consult trade publications and other sources to provide information to clients on available cargo space, destinations, rates and departure locations and times, and arrange ship charters for clients
- Negotiate rates and terms and prepare contracts and other papers
- Buy and sell ships, yachts and other watercraft on behalf of clients
- Inspect vessels, explain features and negotiate price when purchasing or selling for clients
- Arrange for insurance coverage for cargo or for ships
- Arrange for registration and licensing of ships.
Job titles under NOC 13200
19 job titles are classified here, including cargo broker, chartered shipbroker, customs broker.
- cargo broker
- chartered shipbroker
- customs broker
- customs clearance agent
- customs consultant
- customs house broker
- customs information broker
- customs rater
- designated shipbroker
- gas broker
- licensed customs broker
- oil lease broker
- qualified customs broker
- royalty broker
- ship agent
- ship line agent
- shipbroker
- supply chain specialist - customs brokerage
- yacht broker
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school, and some post-secondary education in commerce or a related field is required.
- Customs brokers require several years of on-the-job training and completion of a customs brokers training program through the International Federation of Customs Brokers Association.
- A customs broker licence, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency, is required for an individual or company to operate a customs brokerage business.
- Shipbrokers selling cargo space on ships usually require several years of on-the-job training or related experience such as shipping company scheduling experience. Shipbrokers selling watercraft usually require in-depth experience with, and knowledge of, various watercraft.
- Correspondence courses from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers are available for shipbrokers.
Customs, ship and other brokers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $20.51/hr | $27.12/hr | $36.63/hr |
Toronto ON | $22.12/hr | $28.00/hr | $38.46/hr |
Montréal QC | $22.74/hr | $29.23/hr | $39.91/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $22.31/hr | $30.57/hr | $39.13/hr |
Calgary AB | $24.91/hr | $30.21/hr | $40.36/hr |
Edmonton AB | $24.84/hr | $30.20/hr | $39.80/hr |
Ottawa ON | $23.53/hr | $30.15/hr | $42.93/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $19.10/hr | $24.52/hr | $33.34/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $22.30/hr | $29.57/hr | $39.45/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $21.60/hr | $26.42/hr | $32.31/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $21.38/hr | $28.30/hr | $39.46/hr |
London ON | $21.47/hr | $25.87/hr | $34.54/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $23.80/hr | $28.19/hr | $38.73/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
New Brunswick | $18.53/hr | $23.34/hr | $28.19/hr |
Quebec | $22.30/hr | $29.57/hr | $39.45/hr |
Ontario | $22.12/hr | $28.00/hr | $38.46/hr |
Manitoba | $19.36/hr | $24.65/hr | $28.74/hr |
Alberta | $23.57/hr | $30.33/hr | $41.01/hr |
British Columbia | $21.89/hr | $30.86/hr | $40.13/hr |
Using NOC 13200 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 19 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Insurance broker (NOC 63100)
- Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers (NOC 10020)
- Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers (NOC 11103)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for customs, ship and other brokers?
Customs, ship and other brokers are NOC 2021 unit group 13200. Example job titles in this group include cargo broker, chartered shipbroker, customs broker, gas broker.
What TEER is NOC 13200?
NOC 13200 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do customs, ship and other brokers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $27.12/hr, about $53,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.51/hr to $36.63/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.