Canada job guide
Plumber in Canada: your Express Entry path, step by step
Picture yourself running your own jobs in a Canadian city, with steady work and permanent residence for your family. Plumbers (NOC 72300, TEER 2) are on IRCC's 2026 trades list: 12 months of plumbing work in the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad, puts you in the trades draws as well as the regular rounds. Plumbing is a compulsory trade in Ontario and Alberta, so you will need a provincial certificate to work there.
At a glance
- Occupation
- Plumbers · NOC 72300 · TEER 2
- Express Entry group
- Trades
- Latest trades round
- October 1, 2026, cut-off 476
- Median wage in Canada
- $34.00 an hour Job Bank, wages updated November 19, 2025
Three ways into the Express Entry pool
To be invited you first need a profile in the Express Entry pool, through one of three programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker. Experience must be in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job; plumbers are TEER 2.
- Federal Skilled Trades. It covers NOC Major Group 72, which includes plumbers. You need at least 2 years of full-time work (or the same part-time) in the trade within the last 5 years, gained where you were qualified to practise, plus either a full-time job offer of at least 1 year or a Canadian certificate of qualification in plumbing.
- Canadian Experience Class. For skilled work experience already gained in Canada.
The trades draws
Trades draws rank only people with recent experience in a listed trade. The panel above shows the latest one and its cut-off. You need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same part-time) as a plumber within the last 3 years. The months do not have to be in a row, and the work must match the NOC description of the job.
Getting certified to work
Plumber is a Red Seal trade, designated in every province and territory, and the certificate to work comes from the province:
- Ontario lists Plumber (306A) among its compulsory trades. If you trained and worked outside Canada, Skilled Trades Ontario's Trade Equivalency Assessment decides whether you can challenge the certifying exam.
- Alberta gives plumbing compulsory certification. Its Trades Qualifier – Work Experience Program asks for 72 months (9,360 hours) of work in the trade, and Alberta's plumber program also gives Gasfitter – Class B certification. The program is meant for people who will live and work in Alberta and does not by itself give you the right to work in Canada.
Holding a Canadian certificate of qualification also lets you use the Federal Skilled Trades program without a job offer.
What plumbers earn
The panel above shows Job Bank's median hourly wage for plumbers across Canada, and Job Bank breaks pay down by province and region.
What to do next
Frequently asked questions
- Do plumbers need a licence to work in Canada?
In Ontario and Alberta, yes: plumbing is a compulsory trade, so you need the provincial certificate before you work.
- Is a job offer required?
Not for the Federal Skilled Worker program or the trades draws. The Federal Skilled Trades program needs a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification.
- Does my plumbing experience from abroad count?
For the trades draws, yes, if you have 12 months in the last 3 years. Ontario's Trade Equivalency Assessment also looks at experience gained outside Canada.
Last updated October 20, 2026