Job Bank wages for plumbers in Canada, province by province, with gas fitting and apprentice pay. Job Bank publishes wages by occupation and region, not by sector.
Plumbers in Canada earn a national median of $34.00/hr (Job Bank, 2023–2024 wages), below gas fitters ($40.00) and construction electricians ($35.00). Job Bank projects a moderate risk of labour shortage for plumbers nationally over 2024–2033, and its 2025–2027 outlooks for the provinces range from Good in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to Very limited in Quebec. Job Bank's national high wage (90th percentile) for plumbers is $46.00/hr, about $92,000 a year at 2,000 hours (2023–2024 wages). This guide gives Job Bank's figures for 306A Plumbers province by province.
Most pay figures on this page are Government of Canada Job Bank data for everyone working in the occupation, not only certified tradespeople. The 306A exam is 125 questions in 4 hours. The pass mark is 70%, which is 88 correct answers; SkilledTradesBC rounds results up from 69.5%, so 87 correct also passes there.
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| Job Bank figure (Canada, 2023–2024) | Hourly Rate | Approx. Annual Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers (NOC 72300) — low | $21.00/hr | $42,000 |
| Plumbers (NOC 72300) — median | $34.00/hr | $68,000 |
| Plumbers (NOC 72300) — high | $46.00/hr | $92,000 |
| Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (NOC 72301) — median, for comparison | $43.89/hr | $87,780 |
Source: Government of Canada Job Bank hourly wages, reference period 2023–2024, updated November 19, 2025 (checked September 2026). Low and high are Job Bank's 10th and 90th percentile wages. The plumber figures cover all workers in the occupation, including apprentices, and are not broken down by sector. Annual earnings estimated at 2,000 working hours/year.
Job Bank reports BC plumber wages of $23.00 (low), $32.00 (median) and $48.00 (high) per hour for the 2023–2024 reference period, so the BC median sits below the national median of $34.00. These figures include apprentices. Unionized journeypersons are paid under collective agreements negotiated by United Association (UA) locals, whose rates Job Bank does not publish.
Job Bank reports Alberta plumber wages of $20.00 (low), $30.00 (median) and $43.00 (high) per hour for the 2023–2024 reference period, below the national median of $34.00; these figures include apprentices. Union rates for journeypersons are set by United Association (UA) collective agreements, which Job Bank does not publish. Alberta apprentices must be paid at least 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% of the rate of the lowest-paid Plumber journeyperson at the same company in periods 1 to 4 (Alberta Tradesecrets, checked September 2026).
Job Bank reports Ontario plumber wages of $20.00 (low), $32.50 (median) and $50.38 (high) per hour for the 2023–2024 reference period; these figures include apprentices. Job Bank does not break out residential, commercial or industrial work, or union rates: unionized journeypersons are paid under collective agreements negotiated by United Association (UA) locals such as Toronto-based UA Local 46.
Job Bank reports Saskatchewan plumber wages of $22.00 (low), $35.00 (median) and $43.00 (high) per hour for the 2023–2024 reference period — a higher median than BC ($32.00), Alberta ($30.00) or the national figure ($34.00). UA Local 179, a United Association local for the piping trades, is based in Regina.
Job Bank reports Manitoba plumber wages of $21.00 (low), $30.11 (median) and $43.00 (high) per hour for the 2023–2024 reference period, a range that includes apprentices. Manitoba also sets a legal minimum for journeyperson plumbers on industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction projects: $44.13/hr from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, rising to $45.02/hr on May 1, 2027 (Construction Industry Minimum Wage Regulation, checked September 2026). Apprentice plumbers must be paid at least 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% of that journeyperson minimum in levels 1 to 4, or of the journeyperson rate on the same job where no minimum is prescribed (Apprenticeship and Certification — General Regulation).
Residential plumbers rough in and trim out new homes, townhouses, and low-rise condominiums. Job Bank does not break out residential work; its low-to-high wage ranges for all plumbers are $23–$48/hr in BC, $20–$50.38/hr in Ontario and $20–$43/hr in Alberta (2023–2024 wages). The work is physically demanding (rough concrete, tight crawlspaces).
Commercial plumbing on office buildings, schools, hospitals and transit projects involves larger-diameter pipe, backflow preventer assemblies, medical gas systems in healthcare and grease interceptors in food service. UA journeyperson commercial rates are set by each local's collective agreement; Job Bank does not publish union rates, and its national high wage for all plumbers is $46.00/hr (2023–2024 wages).
Red Seal's 2023 Plumber standard lists potable water fire protection systems as a task of their own (G-20), marked Not Common Core, so it carries no questions on the Red Seal exam. Job Bank places sprinkler system installers in a separate occupational group (NOC 72301, steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers), with a national low of $27.00/hr, median of $43.89/hr and high of $55.59/hr (2023–2024 wages), and ESDC expects labour demand and supply for that occupation to be broadly in line over 2024–2033.
Industrial process piping connects process equipment in manufacturing, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food processing facilities. This work involves specialized materials (sanitary 316L stainless, PVDF, polypropylene, Hastelloy), orbital welding for high-purity systems, strict cleanroom protocols, and detailed inspection and testing requirements. Job Bank does not break out industrial process work; its national low and high wages for all plumbers are $21.00/hr and $46.00/hr (2023–2024 wages).
We found no official figure for a pay premium for plumbers who also hold a gas licence. In Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, gas fitting is certified separately from plumbing, and holding both allows you to perform a broader scope of work:
| Province | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $21.00 | $34.00 | $46.00 |
| Quebec | $24.50 | $40.00 | $45.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $22.00 | $35.00 | $43.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $18.00 | $33.00 | $38.38 |
| Ontario | $20.00 | $32.50 | $50.38 |
| British Columbia | $23.00 | $32.00 | $48.00 |
| Manitoba | $21.00 | $30.11 | $43.00 |
| Alberta | $20.00 | $30.00 | $43.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $20.00 | $30.00 | $38.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.50 | $27.50 | $36.03 |
| New Brunswick | $16.50 | $26.00 | $34.00 |
Hourly wages for Plumbers (NOC 72300, which includes apprentices) from the Government of Canada Job Bank, reference period 2023–2024, updated November 19, 2025 (checked September 2026). Low and high are Job Bank's 10th and 90th percentile wages. Job Bank does not publish union rates: United Association (UA) locals negotiate their own wage and benefit packages, so compare total compensation, not just the hourly rate, when weighing union and non-union offers. Legal minimums can sit above these figures: in Manitoba, journeyperson plumbers on industrial, commercial and institutional construction projects must be paid at least $44.13/hr from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 (Construction Industry Minimum Wage Regulation).
Three things that can add to plumber income beyond base wages:
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Start 306A Practice →Government of Canada Job Bank reports a low of $21.00/hr, a median of $34.00/hr and a high of $46.00/hr for plumbers in Canada (NOC 72300, which includes apprentices) for the 2023–2024 reference period (updated November 2025). At 2,000 hours a year the median works out to about $68,000. Job Bank's provincial medians range from $26.00/hr in New Brunswick to $40.00/hr in Quebec (2023–2024 wages); Job Bank publishes wages by occupation and region only, not by sector, experience or union status.
We found no official figure for a pay premium for plumbers who also hold a gas licence. Job Bank's 2023–2024 national median is $40.00/hr for gas fitters (NOC 72302) and $34.00/hr for plumbers (NOC 72300), but these are separate occupations, not dual-licensed plumbers. In Alberta, the Plumber apprenticeship already includes Gasfitter – Class B certification (equipment up to 400,000 BTUs), and a Class A certificate is required for appliances above 400,000 BTUs. In Ontario, a G.2 gas technician certificate covers natural gas and propane appliances with an input of 400,000 Btuh or less, and a G.1 covers appliances of any input (Ontario Regulation 215/01).
Job Bank does not publish plumber wages by sector: its wages are set for each occupation at the national, provincial, territorial and economic-region level, and for all plumbers (NOC 72300) it reports a national low of $21.00/hr, median of $34.00/hr and high of $46.00/hr (2023–2024 wages). Job Bank places sprinkler system installers in a separate occupational group (NOC 72301, steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers), with a national low of $27.00/hr, median of $43.89/hr and high of $55.59/hr (2023–2024 wages).
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