How long to become a plumber and what is the salary in Quebec?

Becoming a plumber (pipefitter) in Quebec goes through the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), not through a CMMTQ exam:

Pathway:

• DEP in Plumbing and Heating (program 5333): 1,680 hours
• CCQ apprentice competency certificate: issued after passing the DEP, on presentation of a job guarantee from an employer registered with the CCQ covering at least 150 hours over 3 consecutive months
• Apprenticeship: 4 periods of 2,000 hours (8,000 hours in total)
• CCQ qualification exam (Plumber (pipefitter) trade, no. 412): 3 hours, 61 questions, 60% passing grade — it leads to the journeyman competency certificate
• CMMTQ / RBQ contractor licence (sub-category 15.5, plumbing): held by the business, and it is its responding officer for the execution of work who sits the CMMTQ exam (3 hours) — it is not a step in an employee's pathway

Hourly rates in construction (CCQ, institutional and commercial sector, day shift, in force since April 26, 2026):

• 1st-period apprentice: $25.40/h
• 2nd-period apprentice: $30.47/h
• 3rd-period apprentice: $35.55/h
• 4th-period apprentice: $43.17/h
• Journeyman: $50.79/h

Rates vary by sector (civil engineering and roads, industrial, institutional and commercial, residential) and by shift. Outside construction, across all industries (NOC 72300), the hourly wage ranges from $24.00 to $44.79, with a median of $40.00 (2022-2024 average, Québec.ca).