NOC 75210: Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations
What boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations do
Boat and cable ferry operators and workers in related occupations operate lock gates, bridges and similar equipment along canal systems and operate cable ferries and ferry terminals. This unit group also includes boat operators, and owner-operators, who operate small motorboats or watercraft to transport passengers or freight. They are employed by the federal government, cable ferry companies, ferry terminals, marine companies and canal, port or harbour authorities. Owner-operators of small boats are self-employed.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Lock equipment operators
- Operate telecommunication equipment or use portable loudspeakers to direct movements of vessels in lock area
- Operate controls to open or close lock gates
- Operate controls to raise, lower or turn bridges
- Observe progress of vessels passing through locks.
- Cable ferry operators
- Signal passengers and motor vehicles to embark and disembark
- Operate cable ferry across narrow waterway
- Perform routine maintenance and repairs to engine, cables and winches.
- Ferry terminal workers
- Operate controls to adjust landing bridge, position or remove gangplank, open or close doors and gates, and secure or remove docking devices
- Signal passengers and motor vehicles to embark and disembark
- May collect tickets or fares from passengers.
- Boat operators
- Operate motorboats, launches, small ferry boats and other similar vessels to transport passengers or freight
- Maintain boats and equipment on board, such as engines, winches, derricks, fire extinguishers and life preservers
- May perform other duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports and harbours, patrolling beaches and measuring depth of water.
Job titles under NOC 75210
50 job titles are classified here, including bridgemaster, cable ferry operator, canal lock operator.
- barge captain
- barge operator
- beachcomber
- bridge attendant - canal lock systems
- bridge keeper - lock system
- bridgemaster
- bridgemaster - lock systems
- cable ferry deckhand
- cable ferry operator
- canal lock operator
- canal lock tender
- canal lockman/woman
- charter boat captain
- charter boat master
- charter boat operator
- dry dock worker - shipbuilding
- ferry terminal attendant
- ferry terminal worker
- launch captain
- launch master
- launch operator
- launch owner-operator
- lighthouse keeper
- lineshandler - canal lock system
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- Master, Master Limited or Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (SVOP) Certificate, issued by Transport Canada, is required for boat operators.
- Marine Emergency Duties (MED) training is required for boat operators and crew members.
Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations 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 | $20.00/hr | $27.64/hr | $47.50/hr |
Toronto ON | $21.65/hr | $28.80/hr | $41.22/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $21.39/hr | $30.84/hr | $46.58/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $21.93/hr | $27.75/hr | $37.65/hr |
Halifax NS | $19.45/hr | $27.42/hr | $36.48/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $22.55/hr | $30.22/hr | $45.65/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.08/hr | $27.00/hr | $39.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $19.49/hr | $27.67/hr | $38.99/hr |
New Brunswick | $18.11/hr | $26.46/hr | $37.12/hr |
Quebec | $21.93/hr | $27.75/hr | $37.65/hr |
Ontario | $19.90/hr | $27.59/hr | $36.22/hr |
Alberta | $21.49/hr | $26.35/hr | $30.34/hr |
British Columbia | $21.00/hr | $29.55/hr | $47.50/hr |
Using NOC 75210 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 50 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Deck officers, water transport (NOC 72602)
- Water transport deck and engine room crew (NOC 74201)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations?
Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations are NOC 2021 unit group 75210. Example job titles in this group include bridgemaster, cable ferry operator, canal lock operator, charter boat operator.
What TEER is NOC 75210?
NOC 75210 is TEER 5 (Short work demonstration). Usually requires a short work demonstration and no formal education. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $27.64/hr, about $54,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.00/hr to $47.50/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.