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  6. Plumbers

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Plumbers

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2024-2028
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals install, repair, and maintain plumbing piping and equipment. Their work enables the distribution of water and the evacuation of waste water.

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Climatic conditions
  • Equipment, machinery, tools
  • Odours
  • Humidity
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Noise

Main tasks

  • Read and interpret plans, drawings, and technical specifications.
  • Determine the location of pipe connections and holes required for their passage.
  • Make openings in the walls and floors.
  • Measure, cut, bend, and drill pipes.
  • Join pipes with fittings or bonding, brazing, or welding equipment.
  • Check pipes for leaks.

Advancement and mobility

  • Qualified Plumbers receive a Red Seal endorsement upon successful completion of the Interprovincial Examination.
  • Experience leads to supervisory positions.

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.
Minimum
$24.00
Median
$40.00
Maximum
$44.79

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2023

All of Québec

10,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
1.8% Female
98.2% Male

Not available.
  • 1.8% Female
  • 98.2% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2020

All of Québec

$61,200

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for women
  • None

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for women
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Construction
    NAICS 23
    85% of jobs
  2. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    3% of jobs
  3. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    2% of jobs
  4. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    2% of jobs
  5. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    7% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Construction
    NAICS 23
    85% of jobs
  2. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    3% of jobs
  3. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    2% of jobs
  4. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    2% of jobs
  5. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    7% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

Secondary

DVS in plomberie et chauffage
Code : 5333

Placement rate: 90.8%

4.9% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
DVS in plumbing and Heating
Code : 5833
More on graduates’ employment situation

Also required

  • Certificate of qualification.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Information processing
  • Critical thought
  • Active listening
  • Judgment and decision-making
  • Quality control analysis
  • Data collection
  • Troubleshooting
  • Oral expression
  • Repair
  • Solving complex problems
  • Monitoring operations
  • Active learning
  • Reading comprehension
  • Coordination
  • Teaching
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Result evaluation
  • Operations and control
  • Time management
  • Service oriented
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Awareness of issues
  • Near vision
  • Digital dexterity
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Physical flexibility in extension
  • Oral comprehension
  • Limb coordination
  • Manual dexterity
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Hand-arm stability
  • Information organization
  • Control accuracy
  • Visualization
  • Written comprehension
  • Core strength
  • Verbal skills
  • Perception speed
  • Selective attention
  • Speech clarity
  • Classification
  • Overall balance of the body
  • Static muscle power
  • Idea generation
  • Speech recognition
  • Processing flexibility
  • Distance vision
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Critical thinking
  • Focussed on results
  • Autonomy
  • Capacity to work in a team
  • Rigour
  • Sense of initiative
  • Respect standards and regulations
  • Sense of observation
  • Knowledge of buildings and construction
  • Knowledge of mechanics

Interests

  • Make, build, install
  • Self-employment
  • Work manually
  • Work outdoors

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Investigative
People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Enterprising
People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 72300

Plumbers

Job titles

  • Plumber
  • Maintenance plumber
  • Apprentice plumber
  • Journeyman/woman plumber
  • Residential construction plumber
  • Plumbing installer
  • Plumbing mechanic
  • Plumber - pipefitting
  • Maintenance and repair plumber (non-construction)
  • Maintenance and repair plumber
  • Marine plumber
  • Radiator plumber
  • Plumbing heat technician - canadian armed forces
More Less job titles

Skill type

Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

Related occupations

  • Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
  • Gas fitters
  • Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi

See also

Non traditional

Hats Off to You!

Last update: January 29, 2026

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