NOC 72103: Boilermakers
What boilermakers do
Boilermakers fabricate, assemble, erect, test, maintain and repair boilers, vessels, tanks, towers, heat exchangers and other heavy-metal structures. They are employed in boiler fabrication, manufacturing, shipbuilding, construction, electric power generation and similar industrial establishments. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Read blueprints or specifications to plan sequence of operation
- Lay out plate, sheet steel or other heavy metal and mark bending and cutting lines on work piece using protractors, compasses and drawing instruments or templates
- Set up and operate heavy-metal working machines such as brakes, rolls, shears, flame cutters and drill presses to cut, shape and form metal into parts or sections
- Fit and weld metal parts or sections together to fabricate boilers, vessels, tanks, heat exchangers, piping and other heavy-metal products
- Erect and install boilers and other heavy-metal products according to specifications using hand and power tools
- Repair and perform maintenance work on boilers and other heavy-metal products
- Direct activities of hoist or crane operators and other workers during fabrication, assembly, installation or repair of structures
- Test finished structures using a variety of methods.
- Boilermakers may specialize in rigging and hoisting, preparation and layout, or welding aspects of the trade.
Job titles under NOC 72103
18 job titles are classified here, including boiler fitter, boiler installer, boilermaker.
- boiler fitter
- boiler installer
- boiler repairer
- boiler repairman/woman
- boiler shop mechanic
- boilermaker
- boilermaker apprentice
- boilermaker-welder
- construction boilermaker
- erection and repair boilermaker
- industrial boilermaker
- industrial construction boilermaker
- industrial heat exchanger boilermaker
- journeyman/woman boilermaker
- maintenance boilermaker
- marine boilermaker
- pressure vessel boilermaker
- pressure vessel fabricator
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in boilermaking is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Quebec and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available, in all provinces, to qualified boilermakers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Boilermakers 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 | $37.66/hr | $49.00/hr | $54.57/hr |
Toronto ON | $31.21/hr | $46.67/hr | $52.41/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $49.00/hr | $51.07/hr | $54.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $34.00/hr | $51.15/hr | $55.31/hr |
Edmonton AB | $43.99/hr | $51.81/hr | $56.57/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $42.00/hr | $47.00/hr | $48.95/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $31.30/hr | $48.21/hr | $54.21/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $47.68/hr | $51.07/hr | $55.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $34.91/hr | $47.87/hr | $49.97/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $31.07/hr | $41.33/hr | $52.67/hr |
Nova Scotia | $38.19/hr | $45.46/hr | $54.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $36.00/hr | $43.64/hr | $52.00/hr |
Quebec | $42.00/hr | $47.00/hr | $48.95/hr |
Ontario | $31.21/hr | $48.21/hr | $54.21/hr |
Manitoba | $34.00/hr | $47.87/hr | $51.81/hr |
Saskatchewan | $40.49/hr | $48.05/hr | $52.30/hr |
Alberta | $42.35/hr | $51.81/hr | $56.00/hr |
British Columbia | $48.00/hr | $51.07/hr | $56.74/hr |
Using NOC 72103 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 18 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Ironworkers (NOC 72105)
- Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters (NOC 72104)
- Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for boilermakers?
Boilermakers are NOC 2021 unit group 72103. Example job titles in this group include boiler fitter, boiler installer, boilermaker, boilermaker apprentice.
What TEER is NOC 72103?
NOC 72103 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. 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 boilermakers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $49.00/hr, about $96,000 a year full-time, with a range of $37.66/hr to $54.57/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.