NOC 72311: Cabinetmakers
What cabinetmakers do
Cabinetmakers use a variety of woods and laminates to construct and repair wooden cabinets, furniture, fixtures and related products. They are employed by furniture manufacturing or repair companies, construction companies and cabinetmaking 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:
- Study plans, specifications or drawings of articles to be made, or prepare specifications
- Mark outlines or dimensions of parts on wood
- Operate woodworking machines, such as power saws, jointers, mortisers and shapers, and use hand tools to cut, shape and form parts and components
- Trim joints and fit parts and subassemblies together to form complete unit using glue and clamps and reinforce joints using nails, screws or other fasteners
- Sand wooden surfaces and apply veneer, stain or polish to finished products
- Repair or restyle wooden furniture, fixtures and related products
- May estimate amount, type and cost of materials required.
Job titles under NOC 72311
18 job titles are classified here, including cabinetmaker, cabinetmaker apprentice, custom wood furniture maker.
- cabinetmaker
- cabinetmaker apprentice
- custom frame and mirror assembler
- custom piano case maker
- custom wood furniture maker
- custom wooden desk maker
- furniture cabinetmaker
- jig builder - wood products manufacturing
- journeyman/woman cabinetmaker
- layout marker - cabinetmaking
- pattern repairman/woman - foundry
- tradesman/woman cabinetmaker
- wood furniture and fixtures patternmaker
- wood model maker
- wood mould maker
- wood pattern inspector
- wood pattern repairman/woman - foundry
- wood patternmaker
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a four-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school or college courses in cabinetmaking is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified cabinetmakers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Cabinetmakers 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 | $19.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $31.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $19.00/hr | $26.00/hr | $33.60/hr |
Montréal QC | $17.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $18.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $18.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $29.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $17.00/hr | $22.50/hr | $31.84/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $19.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $32.10/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $32.00/hr |
London ON | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $33.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $22.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $19.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Ontario | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $33.00/hr |
Manitoba | $17.00/hr | $22.50/hr | $31.84/hr |
Alberta | $18.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
British Columbia | $20.00/hr | $26.00/hr | $33.35/hr |
Using NOC 72311 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:
- Cabinetmakers foreman/woman (NOC 72013)
- Carpenters (NOC 72310)
- Woodworking machine operators (NOC 94124)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for cabinetmakers?
Cabinetmakers are NOC 2021 unit group 72311. Example job titles in this group include cabinetmaker, cabinetmaker apprentice, custom wood furniture maker, furniture cabinetmaker.
What TEER is NOC 72311?
NOC 72311 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 cabinetmakers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $24.00/hr, about $47,000 a year full-time, with a range of $19.00/hr to $31.00/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.