NOC 94142: Fish and seafood plant workers
What fish and seafood plant workers do
Labourers in fish and seafood processing perform clean-up, packaging, material handling and other elemental activities related to fish and seafood processing. They are employed in fish and seafood processing and packaging plants.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Fish and seafood plant machine operators
- Set up and operate machines to clean, cut, cook, smoke, brine, dehydrate or otherwise process fish or seafood products
- Set up and operate machines to can, bag, box or otherwise package fish and seafood products
- Check products and packaging for defects and to ensure conformance to company standards and perform corrective machine adjustments as required
- Record production information such as quantity, weight, date and type of products packaged.
- Fish and seafood plant cutters and cleaners
- Cut, clean and trim fish or seafood prior to marketing or further processing
- Scrape away scales, cut fish, separate fillets and remove scrap parts using knife
- Check fish fillets to determine optimal number and size of fillet sections, cut sections according to specifications and place in container for weighing
- Disjoint and remove meat from lobsters or other crustaceans preparatory to canning or further processing.
Job titles under NOC 94142
75 job titles are classified here, including fish cake maker, fish canning machine operator - fish processing, fish cleaner and cutter - fish processing.
- basket filter tender - fish and seafood processing
- can filler - fish and seafood processing
- can-filling machine operator - fish processing
- centrifuge machine tender - fish processing
- clam shucker - fish and seafood processing
- clam steamer - fish and seafood processing
- clam-shucking machine tender - fish and seafood processing
- crab butcher - fish and seafood processing
- crab steamer - fish and seafood processing
- fillet chopper - fish processing
- filleting machine operator - fish processing
- filleting machine setter - fish processing
- filling machine operator - fish and seafood products
- fish boner - fish processing
- fish broiler - fish processing
- fish by-products processor
- fish cake former - fish processing
- fish cake maker
- fish cake maker - fish processing
- fish cake processor - fish processing
- fish canning machine operator - fish processing
- fish cleaner and cutter - fish processing
- fish cook - fish processing
- fish curer - fish processing
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education may be required.
- On-the-job training is required.
Fish and seafood plant workers 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 | $15.50/hr | $17.25/hr | $20.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $17.85/hr | $18.70/hr | $22.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $17.00/hr | $19.50/hr | $22.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $18.00/hr | $21.50/hr | $26.87/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | $17.60/hr | $18.93/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $16.80/hr | $20.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | $16.97/hr | $19.25/hr |
Quebec | $17.00/hr | $19.50/hr | $22.00/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $20.00/hr | $29.00/hr |
Manitoba | $16.50/hr | $18.00/hr | $22.12/hr |
British Columbia | $17.85/hr | $19.70/hr | $25.00/hr |
Using NOC 94142 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 75 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Labourers in fish and seafood processing (NOC 95107)
- Supervisors, food and beverage processing (NOC 92012)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for fish and seafood plant workers?
Fish and seafood plant workers are NOC 2021 unit group 94142. Example job titles in this group include fish cake maker, fish canning machine operator - fish processing, fish cleaner and cutter - fish processing, fish cutting machine operator - fish processing.
What TEER is NOC 94142?
NOC 94142 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. 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 fish and seafood plant workers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $17.25/hr, about $34,000 a year full-time, with a range of $15.50/hr to $20.00/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.