NOC 72320: Bricklayers
Bricklayers lay bricks, concrete blocks, stone and other similar materials to construct or repair walls, arches, chimneys, fireplaces and other structures in accordance with blueprints and specifications. They are employed by construction companies and bricklaying contractors or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Express Entry eligibility
- Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 2.
- Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: an eligible skilled trade (2 years in the last 5 years).
- High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.3× tier.
TEER 2: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory duties. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.
Category-based draws
At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.
Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection
CRS points for work in NOC 72320
With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:
| Years in Canada | Single, today | Single, Nov 3 | With spouse, today | With spouse, Nov 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | 60 | 35 | 55 |
| 2 | 53 | 73 | 46 | 66 |
| 3 | 64 | 84 | 56 | 76 |
| 4 | 72 | 92 | 63 | 83 |
| 5 or more | 80 | 100 | 70 | 90 |
See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Read sketches and blueprints to calculate materials required
- Cut and trim bricks and concrete blocks to specification using hand and power tools
- Prepare and lay bricks, concrete blocks, stone, structural tiles and similar materials to construct or repair walls, foundations and other structures in residential, industrial and commercial construction
- Lay bricks or other masonry units to build residential or commercial chimneys and fireplaces
- Lay radial bricks to build masonry shells of industrial chimneys
- Lay or install firebricks to line industrial chimneys and smokestacks
- Line or reline furnaces, kilns, boilers and similar installations using refractory or acid-resistant bricks, refractory concretes, plastic refractories and other materials
- Lay bricks, stone or similar materials to provide veneer facing to walls or other surfaces
- Construct and install prefabricated masonry units
- Lay bricks or other masonry units to build patios, garden walls and other decorative installations
- May restore, clean or paint existing masonry structures.
For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.
Example job titles
- apprentice bricklayer
- bricklayer
- brickmason
- refractory bricklayer
- stonecutter
- stonemason
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in bricklaying is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification for bricklayers is compulsory in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the Yukon.
- Trade certification for stonemasons is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Trade certification for restoration stone masons is available, but voluntary, in Nova Scotia.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified bricklayers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Similar jobs with a different code
Common questions
- Is NOC 72320 (Bricklayers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
- Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 72320 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
- How many CRS points does NOC 72320 give?
- With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 72320, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 72320 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
- Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?
- No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 72320 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
- Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?
- Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.
- Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 72320?
- As a TEER 2 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
- Which category draws include NOC 72320?
- It is on IRCC’s list for the Trade occupations category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.
Other 1.3× high-wage occupations
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Find any NOC code · All high-wage occupations · Source: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0
See your CRS score with NOC 72320
Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.