NOC 72310: Carpenters
What carpenters do
Carpenters construct, erect, install, maintain and repair structures and components of structures made of wood, wood substitutes, lightweight steel and other materials. They are employed by construction companies, carpentry contractors, and maintenance departments of factories, plants and other establishments, 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 and interpret blueprints, drawings and sketches to determine specifications and calculate requirements
- Prepare layouts in conformance to building codes, using measuring tools
- Measure, cut, shape, assemble and join materials made of wood, wood substitutes, lightweight steel and other materials
- Build foundations, install floor beams, lay subflooring and erect walls and roof systems
- Fit and install trim items, such as doors, stairs, moulding and hardware
- Maintain, repair and renovate residences and wooden structures in mills, mines, hospitals, industrial plants and other establishments
- Supervise apprentices and other construction workers
- May prepare cost estimates for clients.
Job titles under NOC 72310
63 job titles are classified here, including apprentice carpenter, carpenter, carpenter-joiner.
- access floor specialist carpenter
- apprentice boat carpenter
- apprentice carpenter
- apprentice carpenter-joiner
- boat carpenter
- boat joiner
- boatbuilding apprentice
- bridge carpenter
- building addition carpenter
- building carpenter
- carpenter
- carpenter lead hand
- carpenter rough
- carpenter-joiner
- carpentry repairman/woman
- concrete forms carpenter
- construction carpenter
- construction technician - Canadian Armed Forces
- dock carpenter
- finish carpenter
- floor systems carpenter
- form builder - carpentry
- form carpenter
- framer-carpenter
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 carpentry is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification for carpenters is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories.
- Trade certification for framers is available, but voluntary, in Saskatchewan.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified carpenters upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Carpenters 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 | $22.00/hr | $32.12/hr | $44.23/hr |
Toronto ON | $22.00/hr | $36.00/hr | $48.43/hr |
Montréal QC | $25.00/hr | $34.00/hr | $43.34/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $22.50/hr | $31.50/hr | $43.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $22.00/hr | $32.12/hr | $40.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $22.22/hr | $34.00/hr | $42.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $21.50/hr | $28.00/hr | $43.97/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $21.00/hr | $29.00/hr | $39.98/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $24.61/hr | $36.84/hr | $44.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $45.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $23.50/hr | $32.50/hr | $48.00/hr |
London ON | $24.00/hr | $32.00/hr | $44.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $21.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $36.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $23.08/hr | $32.00/hr | $45.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $18.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $19.00/hr | $32.21/hr | $40.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $39.27/hr |
Nova Scotia | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $33.80/hr |
New Brunswick | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Quebec | $24.61/hr | $36.84/hr | $44.00/hr |
Ontario | $22.00/hr | $32.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Manitoba | $20.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $38.99/hr |
Saskatchewan | $19.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Alberta | $22.22/hr | $34.00/hr | $42.00/hr |
British Columbia | $23.00/hr | $32.00/hr | $43.71/hr |
Using NOC 72310 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 63 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Cabinetmakers (NOC 72311)
- Carpenter supervisor (NOC 72013)
- Woodworking machine operators (NOC 94124)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for carpenters?
Carpenters are NOC 2021 unit group 72310. Example job titles in this group include apprentice carpenter, carpenter, carpenter-joiner, finish carpenter.
What TEER is NOC 72310?
NOC 72310 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 carpenters earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $32.12/hr, about $63,000 a year full-time, with a range of $22.00/hr to $44.23/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.