NOC 73102: Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
What plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers do
Plasterers apply finish, and maintain and restore plaster or similar materials, on interior and exterior walls, ceilings and building partitions to produce plain or decorative surfaces. Drywall installers and finishers install and finish drywall sheets and various types of ceiling systems. Lathers install support framework for ceiling systems, interior and exterior walls and building partitions. They are employed by construction companies and by plastering, drywalling and lathing 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:
- Plasterers
- Clean and prepare surfaces
- Mix plaster ingredients in trough to desired consistency
- Apply, level and smooth coats of plaster using trowels, floats, brushes and spraying equipment
- Trowel or spray coats of stucco over exteriors of buildings to form weatherproof surfaces
- Finish corners and angles and create decorative designs in finish coat, if required
- Cure freshly plastered surfaces
- Mould and install ornamental plaster panels, cornices and trim
- Spray acoustic materials or texture finish over walls and ceilings.
- Drywall installers and finishers
- Measure, cut and fit drywall sheets for installation on walls and ceilings
- Position and secure sheets to metal or wooden studs or joists
- Cut and install metal corner beads to protect exterior corners
- Fill joints, nail indentations, holes and cracks with joint compound using trowel and broad knife
- Tape over joints using taping machine and embed tape in compound
- Smooth out excess compound and allow coat to dry
- Apply successive coats of compound and sand seams and joints
- Fabricate and install suspended metal ceiling grids and place in panels to form acoustical and coffered ceilings.
- Lathers
- Prepare wall and ceiling layouts
- Install metal stud framing and furring for interior drywall or plaster walls and ceilings, using hand and power tools
- Attach metal or gypsum lath to studs or furring using nails, screws, clips or wire ties
- Cut openings in lath for heating and ventilation piping, ducts and electrical outlets
- Install corner beads and wire mesh around beams to which plaster is to be applied
- May install acoustic tile, hangers for suspended ceilings and metal studs for composition wallboard or lath.
Job titles under NOC 73102
54 job titles are classified here, including acoustical ceiling installer, ceiling installer, drywall applicator.
- acoustic tile and drywall installer
- acoustic tile installer
- acoustical ceiling installer
- apprentice drywall applicator
- apprentice plasterer
- ceiling installer
- ceiling system installer
- drywall and acoustic mechanic
- drywall and ceiling system installer
- drywall and lather applicator
- drywall applicator
- drywall finisher
- drywall finisher apprentice
- drywall hanger
- drywall installer
- drywall installer and finisher
- drywall installer and finisher apprentice
- drywall installer lead hand
- drywall installer team leader
- drywall interior systems installer
- drywall mechanic
- drywall nailer
- drywall nailing person
- drywall taper
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three- or four-year apprenticeship program in plastering, drywalling or lathing or A combination of over three years of work experience and some high school, college or industry courses in plastering, drywalling or lathing is usually required.
- Plasterer trade certification is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
- Drywall installer and finisher trade certification is available, but voluntary, in British Columbia.
- Trade certification for lathers (interior systems mechanics) is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the Yukon.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified lathers (interior systems mechanic) upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers 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 | $23.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $43.75/hr |
Toronto ON | $24.00/hr | $35.48/hr | $48.73/hr |
Montréal QC | $25.10/hr | $36.00/hr | $43.34/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $21.34/hr | $28.07/hr | $39.84/hr |
Calgary AB | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.38/hr |
Ottawa ON | $23.51/hr | $35.00/hr | $42.96/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $19.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $25.00/hr | $38.00/hr | $43.34/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $24.56/hr | $35.64/hr | $47.50/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $23.75/hr | $33.50/hr | $48.73/hr |
London ON | $22.95/hr | $34.21/hr | $41.74/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $24.00/hr | $32.40/hr | $40.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $20.00/hr | $26.50/hr | $35.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $20.00/hr | $26.50/hr | $32.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $33.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $18.88/hr | $28.00/hr | $35.13/hr |
New Brunswick | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $34.28/hr |
Quebec | $25.00/hr | $38.00/hr | $43.34/hr |
Ontario | $24.00/hr | $35.48/hr | $48.73/hr |
Manitoba | $19.00/hr | $26.52/hr | $34.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $20.00/hr | $26.50/hr | $35.00/hr |
Alberta | $20.00/hr | $28.65/hr | $37.00/hr |
British Columbia | $22.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $39.84/hr |
Using NOC 73102 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 54 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers?
Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers are NOC 2021 unit group 73102. Example job titles in this group include acoustical ceiling installer, ceiling installer, drywall applicator, drywall finisher.
What TEER is NOC 73102?
NOC 73102 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 plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $33.00/hr, about $64,000 a year full-time, with a range of $23.00/hr to $43.75/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.