NOC 72104: Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
What structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters do
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters fabricate, assemble, fit and install steel or other metal components for buildings, bridges, tanks, towers, boilers, pressure vessels and other similar structures and products. They are employed in structural steel, boiler and platework fabrication plants and by heavy machinery manufacturing and shipbuilding companies. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Study engineering drawings and blueprints, determine the materials required, and plan the sequence of tasks to cut metal most efficiently
- Construct patterns and templates as guides for layouts
- Lay out reference points and patterns on heavy metal according to component specifications
- Rig, hoist and move materials to storage areas or within worksite
- Assemble and fit metal sections and plates to form complete units or subunits using tack welding, bolting, riveting or other methods
- Set up and operate various heavy-duty metal-working machines such as brake presses, shears, cutting torches, grinders and drills, including computer numerical control (CNC) equipment, to bend, cut, form, punch, drill or otherwise form heavy-metal components
- Install fabricated components in final product.
Job titles under NOC 72104
56 job titles are classified here, including metal fabricator, plater, platework fitter.
- apprentice fitter - shipbuilding
- apprentice metal fabricator
- apprentice metal shipwright
- apprentice shipfitter
- apprentice ship's plater
- apprentice steel fabricator
- apprentice structural metal and platework fabricator
- apprentice structural steel and platework fitter
- apprentice structural steel fabricator
- bridge and girder plater
- fabricator - structural metal
- fitter - metal fabrication
- fitter - shipbuilding
- fitter - structural metal fabrication
- fitter lead hand - structural metal and platework
- marine steel fitter
- metal fabricator
- metal fabricator - structural metal and platework
- metal fabricator (fitter)
- metal preparation lead hand - structural metal and platework
- metal shipwright
- plater
- plater - shipbuilding
- plater-welder
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 college or industry courses in structural steel and platework fabrication is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification for metal fabricators (fitters) is available, but voluntary, in all provinces.
- Trade certification for marine technicians is available, but voluntary, in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
- Trade certification for piledriver and bridgeworker is available in British Columbia.
- Trade certification for boiler and related equipment assemblers and structural metal fabricators (non-construction) is available, but voluntary, in Quebec.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified metal fabricators (fitters) upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters 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 | $21.00/hr | $29.00/hr | $43.30/hr |
Toronto ON | $20.00/hr | $27.72/hr | $42.19/hr |
Montréal QC | $18.00/hr | $24.02/hr | $37.69/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $23.50/hr | $35.00/hr | $45.64/hr |
Calgary AB | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $44.94/hr |
Edmonton AB | $23.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $41.06/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $20.00/hr | $26.80/hr | $43.46/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $22.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $35.76/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $21.00/hr | $27.68/hr | $36.14/hr |
Halifax NS | $22.00/hr | $31.00/hr | $43.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $25.00/hr | $35.63/hr | $48.37/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | $21.49/hr | $30.00/hr | $42.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $20.00/hr | $25.75/hr | $40.24/hr |
Quebec | $20.00/hr | $26.80/hr | $43.46/hr |
Ontario | $20.00/hr | $27.48/hr | $37.00/hr |
Manitoba | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $30.80/hr |
Saskatchewan | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $38.50/hr |
Alberta | $22.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $44.00/hr |
British Columbia | $24.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $46.15/hr |
Using NOC 72104 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 56 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Boilermakers (NOC 72103)
- Metalworking and forging machine operators (NOC 94105)
- Platework fabricator supervisor (NOC 72010)
- Structural metal fitter supervisor (NOC 72010)
- Structural steel erector (NOC 72105)
- Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters?
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters are NOC 2021 unit group 72104. Example job titles in this group include metal fabricator, plater, platework fitter, shipfitter.
What TEER is NOC 72104?
NOC 72104 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 structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $29.00/hr, about $57,000 a year full-time, with a range of $21.00/hr to $43.30/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.