NOC 72300: Plumbers
What plumbers do
Plumbers install, repair and maintain pipes, fixtures and other plumbing equipment used for water distribution and waste water disposal in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. They are employed in maintenance departments of factories, plants and similar establishments, by plumbing contractors, or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Read blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine layout of plumbing system, water supply network and waste and drainage systems
- Install, repair and maintain domestic, commercial or industrial plumbing fixtures and systems
- Locate and mark positions for pipe connections, passage holes and fixtures in walls and floors
- Cut opening in walls and floors to accommodate pipe and pipe fittings
- Measure, cut, bend and thread pipes using hand and power tools or machines
- Join pipes using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement or soldering, brazing and welding equipment
- Test pipes for leaks using air and water pressure gauges
- May prepare cost estimates.
Job titles under NOC 72300
14 job titles are classified here, including maintenance plumber, plumber, plumber apprentice.
- apprentice plumber
- journeyman/woman plumber
- maintenance and repair plumber
- maintenance and repair plumber (non-construction)
- maintenance plumber
- marine plumber
- plumber
- plumber - pipefitting
- plumber apprentice
- plumbing heat technician - Canadian Armed Forces
- plumbing installer
- plumbing mechanic
- radiator plumber
- residential construction plumber
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a four- to five-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over five years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in plumbing is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified plumbers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Plumbers 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 | $34.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $24.93/hr | $35.20/hr | $53.09/hr |
Montréal QC | $22.00/hr | $39.80/hr | $43.89/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $22.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $19.62/hr | $30.00/hr | $43.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $22.80/hr | $30.00/hr | $44.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $25.00/hr | $34.38/hr | $46.60/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $21.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $44.42/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $24.50/hr | $40.00/hr | $45.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $20.63/hr | $32.93/hr | $45.26/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.00/hr | $32.50/hr | $48.08/hr |
London ON | $20.00/hr | $31.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $23.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $37.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $25.51/hr | $35.20/hr | $44.76/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $22.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $43.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $22.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.50/hr | $27.50/hr | $36.03/hr |
Nova Scotia | $18.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $38.38/hr |
New Brunswick | $16.50/hr | $26.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Quebec | $24.50/hr | $40.00/hr | $45.00/hr |
Ontario | $20.00/hr | $32.50/hr | $50.38/hr |
Manitoba | $21.00/hr | $30.11/hr | $43.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $22.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $43.00/hr |
Alberta | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $43.00/hr |
British Columbia | $23.00/hr | $32.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Using NOC 72300 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 14 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Gas fitters (NOC 72302)
- Plumbers supervisor (NOC 72012)
- Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (NOC 72301)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for plumbers?
Plumbers are NOC 2021 unit group 72300. Example job titles in this group include maintenance plumber, plumber, plumber apprentice, plumbing mechanic.
What TEER is NOC 72300?
NOC 72300 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 plumbers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $34.00/hr, about $66,000 a year full-time, with a range of $21.00/hr to $46.00/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.