NOC 73101: Tilesetters
What tilesetters do
Tilesetters cover interior and exterior walls, floors and ceilings with ceramic, marble and quarry tile, mosaics or terrazzo. They are employed by construction companies and masonry 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:
- Prepare, measure and mark surface to be covered
- Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires and brackets
- Mix, apply and spread mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives using hand trowel
- Set tiles in position and apply pressure to affix tiles to base
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares and straightedges
- Cut and fit tiles around obstacles and openings using hand and power cutting tools
- Pack grout into joints between tiles and remove excess grout
- Install tile strips
- Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural and floor designs
- Mix, lay and polish terra surfaces
- Cut, polish and install marble and granite
- Remove and replace cracked or damaged tiles
- May prepare cost estimates and orders.
Job titles under NOC 73101
29 job titles are classified here, including apprentice tilesetter, ceramic tile installer, marble setter.
- apprentice tilesetter
- artificial marble setter
- ceramic tile installer
- ceramic tilesetter
- granite setter
- journeyman/woman tilesetter
- marble layer
- marble mason
- marble mechanic
- marble setter
- marble tilesetter
- mosaic tilesetter
- terrazzo finisher
- terrazzo floor layer
- terrazzo layer
- terrazzo mason
- terrazzo mechanic
- terrazzo polisher
- terrazzo setter
- terrazzo worker
- terrazzo, tile and marble setter
- tile fitter
- tile floor layer
- tile installer
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three- or four-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in tilesetting is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification for tilesetters is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified tilesetters upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Tilesetters 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 | $24.04/hr | $34.76/hr | $44.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $22.00/hr | $36.72/hr | $46.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $25.00/hr | $36.18/hr | $44.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $25.00/hr | $36.18/hr | $44.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $21.00/hr | $31.92/hr | $45.10/hr |
London ON | $21.00/hr | $31.92/hr | $45.10/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $25.00/hr | $36.18/hr | $44.00/hr |
Ontario | $21.00/hr | $31.92/hr | $45.10/hr |
British Columbia | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Using NOC 73101 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 29 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Bricklayers (NOC 72320)
- Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers (NOC 73102)
- Tilesetters supervisor (NOC 72014)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for tilesetters?
Tilesetters are NOC 2021 unit group 73101. Example job titles in this group include apprentice tilesetter, ceramic tile installer, marble setter, terrazzo polisher.
What TEER is NOC 73101?
NOC 73101 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. 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 tilesetters earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $34.76/hr, about $68,000 a year full-time, with a range of $24.04/hr to $44.00/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.