How to Become a Plumber in Ontario
Bring clean water in and take waste water away — in homes, businesses and industry.
To become a plumber in Ontario, find an employer to sponsor you and register your Plumber (306A) apprenticeship with Skilled Trades Ontario. You need Grade 10 to start. The apprenticeship is 9,000 hours — about 5 years — mostly paid work on the job, with 3 in-school levels. It is a compulsory trade, so you must be registered or certified to do the work, and a Red Seal trade. Job Bank puts the median wage in Ontario at $32.50 an hour (2023–2024).
Facts checked against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page. Rules and fees change — confirm with the organization before you rely on them.
What the work involves
- Lays out, installs, maintains and repairs piping, fixtures and other parts that supply or drain water.
- Connects appliances that use water.
- Installs piping for processes, including gas lines and pneumatic or air-handling tubing.
- Reads design drawings, manufacturers’ literature and installation diagrams.
Summarized from Skilled Trades Ontario’s description of the trade(opens in a new tab).
A day as an apprentice
- Meet your crew or head to a customer’s home with the van stocked for the job.
- Cut, fit and join pipe — new builds one week, a repair under a sink the next.
- Test your work for leaks and make sure everything drains the way it should.
- Clean up, explain the work to the customer, and log the skills you practised.
A typical picture — every employer and every job site is different.
The facts: Plumber (306A)
Each line links to the official page it came from.
| Trade name and code | Plumber (306A) source (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Compulsory or voluntary | Compulsory — you must be registered or certified to do the work source (opens in a new tab) |
| Apprenticeship hours | 9,000 hours (about 5 years): 8,280 on the job + 720 in school source (opens in a new tab) |
| In-school levels | |
| Red Seal | Yes — Red Seal title: Plumber source (opens in a new tab) |
| Certificate of Qualification exam | |
| Minimum schooling to start | Grade 10 source (opens in a new tab) |
| Certificates of Qualification issued in 2025 | |
| Wages in Ontario (Job Bank) | Median $32.50/hour · low $20.00 · high $50.38 source (opens in a new tab)Job Bank “Plumber”, NOC 72300 (Plumbers). Reference period 2023–2024; source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada; updated 2025-11-19. |
| Job outlook in Ontario (Job Bank) | Moderate (2025–2027) source (opens in a new tab)Job Bank’s 3-year outlook; updated 2025-12-10. |
| Apprentice pay | No legal pay scale — see what apprentices earn Ontario law sets no apprentice pay scale — the old government percentage schedules ended in 2013. Apprentices must be paid at least the general minimum wage ($17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026; any yearly change takes effect October 1). Above that, the employer sets the rate — or, for union members, the collective agreement. |
What apprentices earn in Ontario
The law first, then what people in the trade earn where you live, then what one real agreement pays.
The rule
Ontario law sets no apprentice pay scale. The floor is the general minimum wage — $17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026 — and it applies to apprentices like anyone else. Above that, your employer sets your pay, or, if you are a union member, the collective agreement does.
- The old government schedules that set apprentice pay as a percentage of a journeyperson’s rate ended in 2013 (revoked April 8, 2013 by O. Reg. 426/12). The current law, the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, has no apprentice pay provision. e-Laws(opens in a new tab)
- The minimum wage was $17.60 before October 1, 2026. Any yearly change is published by April 1 and takes effect October 1. Ontario’s minimum wage page(opens in a new tab)
- The lower $16.90 student rate applies only to students under 18 working 28 hours a week or less while school is in session, or during school breaks — not to an adult apprentice. Ontario’s minimum-wage rules have no apprentice exemption.
- Ask what you will be paid — and how it goes up as you progress — before you sign your training agreement.
What plumbers earn, by region
Hourly wages from Job Bank (Government of Canada) for “Plumber” (NOC 72300), updated November 19, 2025. Job Bank publishes one set of figures for the whole occupation, apprentices included — so the low end is not an apprentice rate, and the median is not a pure journeyperson rate. Regions use different survey data; each row says which.
| Region | Low | Median | High | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $20.00 | $32.50 | $50.38 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula | $20.63 | $32.93 | $45.26 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Kingston–Pembroke | $22.48 | $34.45 | $48.02 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie | $20.00 | $32.50 | $48.08 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| London | $20.00 | $31.00 | $40.00 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Muskoka–Kawarthas | $22.58 | $32.86 | $44.35 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Northeast | $22.49 | $35.03 | $48.41 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Northwest | $25.00 | $33.00 | $41.00 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Ottawa | $25.00 | $34.38 | $46.60 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Stratford–Bruce Peninsula | $23.05 | $33.69 | $44.53 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Toronto | $24.93 | $35.20 | $53.09 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Windsor-Sarnia | $20.00 | $32.50 | $50.38 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
Source: Job Bank — Plumber wages in Ontario (opens in a new tab). The minimum wage ($17.95 since October 1, 2026) is the same everywhere in Ontario.
The minimum wage is 55.2% of this median (calculated: $17.95 divided by the median). Hourly, before deductions. Both figures are in the table.
A real example: union apprentice pay
Ontario’s UA pipe trades agreement covers plumbers and steamfitters. Each local sets its apprentice percentages in its own appendix, applied to the journeyperson’s hourly rate. The appendices we read print the percentages and the journeyperson rate, but no apprentice dollar rate — so we show what is printed and do not calculate one.
| Local | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Journeyperson, from May 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local 46Toronto | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 85% | $59.56 |
| Local 67Hamilton | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | $54.64 |
| Local 71Ottawa-Renfrew-Cornwall | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | $53.20 |
- Percent of the journeyperson’s hourly rate (and pension contribution), by period. Toronto’s 5th period is 85%.
- Toronto’s schedule also lists a Zone 11 allowance of $5.80 an hour on top of the journeyperson rate; the lines we read do not say whether apprentices receive it.
- Hamilton’s appendix applies the percentage to the gross basic rate, before the Market Recovery Fund deduction.
- Ottawa’s clause says apprentices are paid “according to the Act” — but no Ontario law has set these percentages since 2013. They apply because the agreement says so.
These rates bind only employers who signed this agreement — union contractors on industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction. They are not typical pay for non-union or residential jobs.
Agreement: Ontario Provincial Collective Agreement between the Mechanical Contractors Association Ontario and the Ontario Pipe Trades Council of the United Association (ICI), in effect May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2028. Read the agreement (PDF)(opens in a new tab) · Ontario’s Collective Agreements e-Library(opens in a new tab)
How to start
- Find a sponsor. An employer (or union, or group) agrees to train you. This is the step that starts everything.
- Register as an apprentice. Sign a Training Agreement with your sponsor and register it with Skilled Trades Ontario.
- Do the training. Log your on-the-job hours and complete each in-school level.
- Get certified. Write the Certificate of Qualification exam; in a Red Seal trade you can earn the Red Seal too.
The exam costs $150 + HST; the first attempt is free when you complete an Ontario apprenticeship.
Where to train
Colleges and training providers (3)
In-school training is delivered by colleges and other approved training providers. A few with a 306A program:
Running your own business later
Ontario has no provincial plumbing-contractor licence like the ESA licence for electricians; some municipalities license plumbing businesses, so check with your city. We have not researched municipal rules for this page.
Trade associations
Looking for a sponsor?
Contractors who may hire apprentices
Apprentices are sponsored by employers in the trade. Browse local plumbers by city on ProScore and contact them directly — not every business sponsors apprentices, so ask.
Plumbers on ProScoreUpcoming events to meet the trade
Career fairs and industry events in Ontario where you can meet people in the trade. Dates checked against each organizer.
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – Windsor Nov 11–12, 2026 LaSalle (Windsor)
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – London Nov 17–19, 2026 London
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – Ottawa Nov 24–26, 2026 Ottawa
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – Oshawa Dec 1–3, 2026 Oshawa
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – Mississauga Dec 8–10, 2026 Mississauga
- CompetitionSkills Ontario Competition & Career Showcase May 3–5, 2027 Toronto
Frequently asked questions
How do I become a plumber in Ontario?
Find a sponsor (usually an employer) and register an apprenticeship in Plumber (306A) with Skilled Trades Ontario. The entry requirement is Grade 10. You then log on-the-job hours, complete the in-school levels, and write the Certificate of Qualification exam.
How long does it take to become a plumber in Ontario?
Skilled Trades Ontario sets the apprenticeship at 9,000 hours, about 5 years: 8,280 hours on the job and 720 hours of in-school training over 3 levels.
Do you need a certificate to work as a plumber in Ontario?
Yes. Plumber is a compulsory trade: to do the work legally you must be a registered apprentice or hold a Provisional or full Certificate of Qualification, and appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register.
How much do plumbers make in Ontario?
Job Bank puts the median wage for plumbers in Ontario (NOC 72300) at $32.50 an hour, with a low of $20.00 and a high of $50.38 (2023–2024). Job Bank publishes one figure for the whole occupation, apprentices included, so it is not an apprentice rate.
How much do apprentice plumbers earn in Ontario?
Ontario law sets no apprentice pay scale — the old government percentage schedules ended in 2013. Apprentices must be paid at least the general minimum wage ($17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026; any yearly change takes effect October 1). Above that, the employer sets the rate — or, for union members, the collective agreement. For example, the 2025–2028 UA pipe trades ICI agreement pays apprentices 40% of the journeyperson rate in the 1st period, rising to 80% or 85% in the 5th, depending on the local. These rates bind only employers who signed that agreement; they are not typical pay for non-union jobs.
Is Plumber a Red Seal trade?
Yes — its Red Seal title is Plumber. Passing the Red Seal exam adds a Red Seal endorsement to your provincial certificate.
Compare other trades
Each page covers the work, the apprenticeship, the pay, where to train and what to do first.
- ElectricianWire, power and light homes and buildings — and find out why something isn’t working.309ACompulsoryabout 5 yearsRed Seal
- PlumberBring clean water in and take waste water away — in homes, businesses and industry.306ACompulsoryabout 5 yearsRed Seal
- HVAC TechnicianKeep homes and buildings cool, warm and comfortable — refrigeration, air conditioning and heating.313ACompulsoryabout 5 yearsRed Seal
- CarpenterBuild the frame of a house, the forms for a foundation, the stairs and the finishing touches.403AVoluntaryabout 4 yearsRed Seal
- RooferInstall and repair the roofs that keep everything else dry — flat, sloped, shingle and membrane.449AVoluntaryabout 2 yearsRed Seal
- Horticultural TechnicianGrow plants, build landscapes and care for lawns, gardens, golf courses and irrigation.441CVoluntaryabout 3 yearsRed Seal
Facts checked
Every number on this page comes from one of these official pages, read on that date. Where two official sources disagree, we show both. Where nothing official is published, we say so instead of estimating. ProScore is not affiliated with these organizations.
The 16 official sources
- Skilled Trades Ontario — 2025 trade report, 306A(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Plumber (306A)(opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — Plumber wages in Ontario(opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — Plumber job outlook in Ontario(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Starting your apprenticeship(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Finishing an apprenticeship(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Exam scheduling(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Certificate of Qualification(opens in a new tab)
- Red Seal Program — About the program(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Minimum wage(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 285/01, Exemptions, special rules and establishment of minimum wage(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario e-Laws — Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 426/12, Revoking various regulations(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Sponsor an apprentice(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Collective Agreements e-Library(opens in a new tab)
- Collective Agreements e-Library — Mechanical Contractors Association Ontario / Ontario Pipe Trades Council (UA) ICI agreement, 2025–2028(opens in a new tab)