NOC 72602: Deck officers, water transport

Official definition · Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 · statcan.gc.ca ↗

Deck officers, water transport, operate and command ships or self-propelled vessels to transport passengers and cargo on oceans and coastal and inland waters, and supervise and coordinate the activities of deck crews. This unit group also includes Canadian Coast Guard deck officers. They are employed by marine transportation companies and federal government departments. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Median Pay$41.36/hrPrevailing median rate

TEER LevelLevel 2Express Entry pool

Priority StreamTransport PriorityCategory draws

Official Titles70 TitlesGovernment aliases

Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 72602

Select the duties you perform in your actual job. Under IRCC guidelines, you must perform at least 60% of these duties for a successful work permit or PR reference letter.

🔎 Check Your Company Job Title70 official aliases

Checklist (10 official duties):Click each to toggle

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IRCC Reference Letter Rule:

Your employer reference letter must confirm you performed the main actions described in the duties above. Avoid copying words directly from the NOC description — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 6 More

0 of 10 selected

0%60% Recommended100%

Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 72602, your employer letter should verify at least 6 main duties. Select 6 more to see if your experience matches.

Minimum Needed6 Duties

Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 72602

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Deck officers, water transport is categorized under TEER 2. Occupations in this tier typically require completion of a 2- to 3-year post-secondary diploma, apprenticeship training, or specialized technical certifications.

Express Entry Alignment

Qualifies directly for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Express Entry. Work experience must be full-time (or equivalent part-time) and continuous for at least one year.

Target Category Status

Currently evaluated under standard General and CEC invitation rounds, or targeted through provincial in-demand lists such as Ontario (OINP), British Columbia (BC PNP), or Alberta (AAIP).

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

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Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, this occupation was mapped under the following 4-digit code(s). When preparing your Express Entry profile or work reference letters, you must use the new 5-digit code NOC 72602.

Former NOC 22734-Digit Legacy

Deck officers, water transport

VC1 - Code Change

Job Bank Open Data (2025/2026)

Regional Wages Across Canada

Legal Benchmark for LMIA

Under Canadian immigration law, an employer hiring you under an LMIA must pay you at least the median wage listed below for your province.

Province / Territory	Low Wage	Median Wage	High Wage
Canada (National Average)	$24.33	$41.36/hr	$72.12
Newfoundland and Labrador →	$23.08/hr	$40/hr	$70.19/hr
Nova Scotia →	$26.05/hr	$45.03/hr	$66.66/hr
New Brunswick →	$23.63/hr	$40.01/hr	$70.08/hr
Quebec →	$23.75/hr	$45.67/hr	$60/hr
Ontario →	$17.6/hr	$38.46/hr	$57.69/hr
Alberta →	$28.78/hr	$44.92/hr	$62.71/hr
British Columbia →	$23.5/hr	$42/hr	$60.5/hr

Employment Requirements

These are the education, training, and certification standards usually required by Canadian employers for this occupation:

Completion of secondary school is required.
Completion of deck officer cadet program from an approved nautical institute or One to three years of experience as a member of a deck crew is required.
A deck officer certificate of competency, issued by Transport Canada, is required.
For ship pilots, a ship pilot licence and a master certificate of competency are required.

Official Job Titles for NOC 72602

70 Titles Listed

If your current job title matches any of these official examples, this NOC code is likely the right choice for your Express Entry reference letter:

Coast Guard vessel first watchkeeping officerCoast Guard vessel navigation officerCoast Guard vessel watchkeeping officerdeck officer - water transportferryboat mastermaster marinership pilotship second mateship third mateship's captainship's matetugboat captainapprentice master - minor waterscaptain - water transportCoast Guard vessel chief officerCoast Guard vessel commanding officerCoast Guard vessel second officerCoast Guard vessel second watchkeeping officerCoast Guard vessel third officerCoast Guard vessel third watchkeeping officercommanding officer - water transportdeck officer - cadetdredge captaindredge commanding officerdredge mateferryboat captainferryboat first mateferryboat operatorfirst mate - inland watersforeign-going first mateforeign-going second mateharbour pilothome trade first matehome trade masterhome trade matehome trade second matehovercraft masterinland navigation matemaster - inland watersmaster - minor watersmaster - water transportmate - water transportmerchant navy matenavigation officer - water transportoffshore drilling rig first mateoffshore rig captainoffshore rig commanding officerpassenger ship captainpilot - water transportriver pilotriverboat captainsecond deck officersecond matesecond mate - inland watersself-propelled barge captainself-propelled barge deck officerself-propelled drilling rig captainself-propelled drilling rig first mateself-propelled drilling rig masterself-propelled drilling rig mateself-propelled oil rig deck officership chief officership first mateship junior mateship mastership operation chief officership watchkeeping matetugboat mastertugboat skipperwatchkeeping officer - water transport

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

Check this list to make sure your actual job is not classified under one of these related codes:

Engineer officers, water transport (See 72603 Engineer officers, water transport)View NOC 72603→
Fishing masters and officers (See 83120 Fishing masters and officers)View NOC 83120→
Shore captain - water transport (See 70020 Managers in transportation)View NOC 70020→
Water transport deck and engine room crew (See 74201 Water transport deck and engine room crew)View NOC 74201→

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 72602 (Deck officers, water transport)

Essential answers regarding Express Entry eligibility, LMIA prevailing wage compliance, and official reference letter rules.

Yes. Because NOC 72602 is classified as TEER 2, it qualifies for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Express Entry.

For an LMIA work permit, your employer must offer at least the median wage of $41.36/hr (or the prevailing median rate in your specific Canadian province of employment).

Under Section 75(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), your employment reference letter must confirm you perform the actions in the lead statement and a substantial number (recommended at least 60%) of the official main duties listed above. You do not need to perform 100% of the duties.

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, Deck officers, water transport was categorized under NOC 2273 (Deck officers, water transport). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 72602 under TEER 2.

Topic Cluster • Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators

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Next Steps for NOC 72602

Check Your Express Entry Score & Latest Cutoffs

Calculate your exact Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for NOC 72602, explore your TEER 2 immigration pathways, and check recent draw cutoffs.

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NOC data: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0

Wages: ESDC Job Bank 2025/2026 Open Data

·Last verified: September 2026