The highest paying trade in Canada is boilermaker, with a national median wage of $49.00 an hour, about $101,920 a year at 40 hours a week. Next come instrumentation and control technicians and powerline technicians at $46.00, then steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler fitters at $43.89. Those are the medians Job Bank, the Government of Canada’s job site, publishes for each trade’s occupation group (updated 19 November 2025, from 2023 to 2024 survey data). At the other end, bakers ($17.50), cooks ($18.00) and hairstylists ($19.88) are the lowest paid of the 54 Red Seal trades.
Most “highest paying trades” lists cover eight or ten trades and mix sources. Below we’ve ranked all 54 Red Seal trades on the same official data, shown what the top 10% earn, and named the province that pays each trade best. That last column matters more than the ranking itself.
The key figures
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Highest paying Red Seal trade (national median) | Boilermaker, $49.00 an hour ($101,920 a year) | Job Bank, Nov 2025 |
| Highest top 10% rate | Instrumentation and control technician, over $65.78 an hour | Job Bank, Nov 2025 |
| Lowest paying Red Seal trade | Baker, $17.50 an hour ($36,400 a year) | Job Bank, Nov 2025 |
| Median hourly wage, all full-time employees in Canada | $32.28 (2024), $33.65 (2025) | Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey |
| Red Seal trades with a median above $32.28 | 30 of 54 | Paygrade calculation from both sources |
| Biggest gap between provinces for one trade | Instrumentation and control: $57.00 in Alberta, $37.42 in Nova Scotia | Job Bank, Nov 2025 |
| Highest paid trade that isn’t Red Seal | Power system electrician, $46.55; elevator mechanic, $45.00 | Job Bank, Nov 2025 |
Yearly figures in this post are the hourly median times 2,080 hours (40 hours a week, 52 weeks), the same conversion our Canada salary pages use.
All 54 Red Seal trades, ranked by median hourly wage
Several Red Seal trades share one occupation code, so they share a row: the three ironworker trades are one group, for example, as are mobile and tower crane operators. Each trade is matched to the code the Red Seal Program gives it (NOC 2021, in brackets), and the wages are Job Bank’s national figures for that code.
| Rank | Red Seal trade (NOC) | Median an hour | A year at 40 hours | Top 10% earn over | Best province (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boilermaker (72103) | $49.00 | $101,920 | $54.57 | Alberta $51.81 |
| 2 | Instrumentation and control technician (22312) | $46.00 | $95,680 | $65.78 | Alberta $57.00 |
| 2 | Powerline technician (72203) | $46.00 | $95,680 | $62.00 | Alberta $55.00 |
| 4 | Steamfitter/pipefitter, sprinkler fitter (72301) | $43.89 | $91,291 | $55.59 | Saskatchewan $46.02 |
| 5 | Ironworker: generalist, reinforcing, structural/ornamental (72105) | $43.00 | $89,440 | $49.80 | Ontario $44.34 |
| 6 | Mobile crane operator, tower crane operator (72500) | $42.77 | $88,962 | $52.19 | Alberta $45.00 |
| 7 | Industrial electrician (72201) | $42.00 | $87,360 | $54.00 | Saskatchewan $49.00 |
| 8 | Gasfitter, Class A and Class B (72302) | $40.00 | $83,200 | $59.62 | Saskatchewan $46.01 |
| 8 | Bricklayer (72320) | $40.00 | $83,200 | $48.78 | Alberta $41.85 |
| 10 | Insulator, heat and frost (72321) | $37.61 | $78,229 | $48.65 | Quebec $43.00 |
| 11 | Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic (72402) | $37.50 | $78,000 | $56.00 | Sask., Alberta, B.C. $40.00 |
| 12 | Heavy duty equipment technician, agricultural equipment technician (72401) | $37.12 | $77,210 | $55.00 | B.C. $45.00 |
| 13 | Industrial mechanic (millwright) (72400) | $37.00 | $76,960 | $52.00 | N.L. $42.35 |
| 14 | Construction electrician (72200) | $35.00 | $72,800 | $48.00 | Quebec $41.30 |
| 15 | Tilesetter (73101) | $34.76 | $72,301 | $44.00 | Quebec $36.18 |
| 16 | Sheet metal worker (72102) | $34.07 | $70,866 | $45.95 | Quebec $40.00 |
| 17 | Tool and die maker (72101) | $34.00 | $70,720 | $44.65 | B.C. $36.05 |
| 17 | Plumber (72300) | $34.00 | $70,720 | $46.00 | Quebec $40.00 |
| 17 | Concrete finisher (73100) | $34.00 | $70,720 | $43.47 | Quebec $38.00 |
| 20 | Drywall finisher and plasterer, lather (73102) | $33.00 | $68,640 | $43.75 | Quebec $38.00 |
| 21 | Heavy equipment operator: dozer, excavator, tractor-loader-backhoe (73400) | $32.50 | $67,600 | $45.00 | Quebec $36.00 |
| 22 | Carpenter (72310) | $32.12 | $66,810 | $44.23 | Quebec $36.84 |
| 23 | Roofer (73110) | $30.97 | $64,418 | $44.24 | Quebec $37.60 |
| 24 | Glazier (73111) | $30.16 | $62,733 | $43.09 | Quebec $35.00 |
| 25 | Landscape horticulturist (22114) | $30.00 | $62,400 | $40.87 | Ontario $31.05 |
| 25 | Machinist (72100) | $30.00 | $62,400 | $41.50 | B.C. $38.00 |
| 25 | Welder (72106) | $30.00 | $62,400 | $47.00 | N.L. $38.41 |
| 25 | Motorcycle technician, recreation vehicle service technician (72423) | $30.00 | $62,400 | $40.00 | B.C. $32.00 |
| 29 | Automotive service technician, truck and transport mechanic, transport trailer technician (72410) | $29.89 | $62,171 | $43.27 | B.C. $35.00 |
| 30 | Metal fabricator (fitter) (72104) | $29.00 | $60,320 | $43.30 | B.C. $35.00 |
| 31 | Appliance service technician (72421) | $28.13 | $58,510 | $41.59 | B.C. $30.49 |
| 32 | Painter and decorator (73112) | $28.00 | $58,240 | $40.99 | Quebec $34.98 |
| 33 | Auto body and collision technician, automotive refinishing technician (72411) | $27.00 | $56,160 | $40.00 | B.C. $31.82 |
| 33 | Oil heat system technician (72420) | $27.00 | $56,160 | $40.00 | Quebec $28.00 |
| 35 | Parts technician (14401) | $26.00 | $54,080 | $40.00 | Alberta $30.29 |
| 35 | Floorcovering installer (73113) | $26.00 | $54,080 | $43.00 | Quebec $36.60 |
| 37 | Construction craft worker (75110) | $25.00 | $52,000 | $40.00 | Quebec $29.85 |
| 38 | Cabinetmaker (72311) | $24.00 | $49,920 | $31.00 | B.C. $26.00 |
| 39 | Hairstylist (63210) | $19.88 | $41,350 | $30.00 | B.C. $23.00 |
| 40 | Cook (63200) | $18.00 | $37,440 | $25.00 | B.C. $20.00 |
| 41 | Baker (63202) | $17.50 | $36,400 | $24.81 | B.C. $20.00 |
“Top 10% earn over” is Job Bank’s high wage, which in most cases is the 90th percentile. Provincial figures for tilesetters and oil heat system technicians cover only three provinces; most other rows cover nine (Prince Edward Island and the territories are usually missing). Source: Job Bank wages dataset, revised 19 November 2025.
Why industrial trades sit at the top
Seven of the top nine are industrial trades: boilermakers, instrumentation and control technicians, powerline technicians, pipefitters, ironworkers, crane operators and industrial electricians. These are the people who build and maintain plants, refineries, power lines and heavy structures, rather than houses. In six of those seven, the best-paying province is Alberta or Saskatchewan. Instrumentation and control technicians in Alberta have the highest provincial median of any Red Seal trade, $57.00 an hour, or $118,560 a year at 40 hours.
Boilermakers stand out for a different reason: their pay is unusually even. Job Bank’s low wage for the trade, the level the bottom 10% earn or less, is $37.66 an hour. That’s higher than the median of 32 of the other 40 trade groups in the table.
Which province pays tradespeople the most?
It depends on the trade, and the pattern is sharp:
- Quebec has the highest median in 15 of the 41 groups, almost all of them building trades: construction electricians ($41.30, against $34.00 in Ontario), plumbers ($40.00, against $32.50 in Ontario), carpenters ($36.84), sheet metal workers ($40.00), roofers ($37.60) and floorcovering installers ($36.60). Quebec’s construction industry runs on four sector-wide collective agreements (residential, industrial, institutional and commercial, civil engineering and roads), overseen by the Commission de la construction du Québec, which may help explain why its building trades lead.
- British Columbia leads 12 groups outright and ties for one more, mostly mechanical and vehicle trades (heavy duty equipment technicians at $45.00, automotive service technicians at $35.00, machinists at $38.00) and the lower-paid service trades (cooks, bakers, hairstylists).
- Alberta leads 6 and ties for one, including the three best-paid trades in the country, and Saskatchewan leads 3 and ties for one: pipefitters, industrial electricians and gasfitters.
- New Brunswick has the lowest median of any province, alone or tied, in 17 of the 41 groups, followed by Nova Scotia (11) and Manitoba (9).
The gap inside one trade can be bigger than the gap between trades. Gasfitters earn a median of $46.01 an hour in Saskatchewan and $28.00 in Nova Scotia, 64% more for the same certificate. Welders earn $38.00 in Alberta and $28.00 in Ontario. Before you choose a trade on the national figure, look up the province you’ll actually work in.
What the top 10% earn
The median tells you what a typical worker makes; the high wage tells you where the trade can go. Four Red Seal trades have a top 10% earning more than $56 an hour, which is over $116,000 a year at 40 hours:
| Trade | Top 10% earn over | A year at 40 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Instrumentation and control technician | $65.78 | $136,822 |
| Powerline technician | $62.00 | $128,960 |
| Gasfitter (Class A and B) | $59.62 | $124,010 |
| Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic | $56.00 | $116,480 |
Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics are a good example of why the ceiling matters: their median ($37.50) ranks 11th, but their top 10% out-earn the top 10% of boilermakers ($54.57). Our HVAC technician salary page for Canada breaks that trade down further, with take-home pay.
Trades that pay well in every province
If you might move, or you don’t live in Alberta, the more useful number is a trade’s lowest provincial median. Four trades pay a median of $40 or more in every province with data:
- Powerline technician: $42.49 even in its lowest-paying province (Quebec).
- Steamfitter/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter: $41.93 at the lowest (Manitoba).
- Boilermaker: $41.33 at the lowest (Newfoundland and Labrador).
- Industrial electrician: $40.00 at the lowest (Nova Scotia).
Compare that with gasfitters, whose national median is also $40.00 but whose provincial medians run from $28.00 to $46.01.
Electricians, plumbers, welders: where the familiar trades land
The trades most people think of first sit in the middle of the table, not the top:
- Construction electricians: $35.00 an hour, about $72,800 a year, ranked 14th. Quebec pays the most ($41.30). See our electrician salary page for Canada, and if you’re starting out in Ontario, how to become an electrician in Ontario walks through the 309A apprenticeship. Industrial electricians, a separate Red Seal trade, earn $7 an hour more ($42.00).
- Plumbers: $34.00, about $70,720 a year, ranked 17th, with Quebec again on top ($40.00). See the plumber salary page for Canada.
- Welders: $30.00, about $62,400, ranked 25th, but with a wide range: the top 10% earn more than $47.00. See the welder salary page for Canada.
- Carpenters: $32.12, ranked 22nd, just under the median full-time wage for all employees.
High-paying trades that aren’t Red Seal
The Red Seal list doesn’t include every regulated trade. Three that pay more than most Red Seal trades:
- Power system electricians (NOC 72202): a $46.55 median, which would rank second on the list.
- Elevator constructors and mechanics (NOC 72406): a $45.00 median, the highest top 10% rate of any trade in this post ($68.00), and $55.62 in Alberta. Our elevator technician salary page for Canada has the details, and why elevator technicians are paid so much explains the forces behind it.
- Aircraft mechanics and inspectors (NOC 72404): a $39.00 median, with $44.50 in Alberta. See the aircraft mechanic salary page for Canada.
Picking a trade for the pay: what the numbers suggest
- Highest typical pay: boilermaker, instrumentation and control technician, powerline technician. All three have medians of $46 or more.
- Highest ceiling: instrumentation and control, powerline, gasfitter and refrigeration and air conditioning, where the top 10% clear $56 an hour.
- Pay that travels: powerline technician, pipefitter, boilermaker and industrial electrician, all $40 or more in every province with data.
- Check your hours, not just the rate. Our yearly figures assume 40 hours for 52 weeks. Some construction trades are seasonal, and some industrial jobs come with long shifts or overtime. Our hourly to salary calculator converts any rate at the hours you’ll really work.
- Certification starts in your province. Trades are certified by each province or territory. A Red Seal endorsement is added to that certificate when you pass the Red Seal exam, and the program says it “shows that you have the knowledge and skills necessary to practice your trade across Canada” (Red Seal).
- Coming from the UK? Our guide to moving to Canada from the UK compares take-home pay for electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians in both countries, and covers the visa routes for tradespeople.
Limits of these figures
- These are occupation groups, not certificates. Job Bank publishes wages by occupation code, and each group includes apprentices, uncertified workers and related jobs (the welder group also covers welding machine operators, for example). There’s no official national data on Red Seal holders’ pay alone.
- The data is from 2023 to 2024. Job Bank updates its wages once a year, usually in the fall; the current edition was revised on 19 November 2025. Pay has had time to move since.
- Small samples in places. A few provincial figures are modelled (Statistics Canada’s Small Area Estimation, used for most elevator mechanic provinces), and some trades have data for only a few provinces.
- Before tax, without benefits. Job Bank’s wages include tips and commissions before tax and exclude non-wage benefits. It doesn’t say whether overtime is counted.
- The yearly figures are ours, at 2,080 hours. How we handle official data is set out in our methodology.
FAQ
Is elevator mechanic the highest paying trade in Canada? Not on the median. Elevator constructors and mechanics earn a national median of $45.00 an hour, behind boilermakers ($49.00), power system electricians ($46.55), and instrumentation and powerline technicians ($46.00). They do have the highest top end of any trade here: the top 10% earn more than $68.00 an hour. In the United States, elevator installers are the best-paid construction occupation; in Canada, four trades beat them on the median.
Do these hourly rates include overtime? Job Bank says its wages include tips and commissions before tax and leave out non-wage benefits such as pensions; it doesn’t say whether overtime is included. Treat the yearly figures as pay for a standard 40-hour week.
Sources
- Job Bank, Government of Canada, Wages dataset (national and provincial low, median and high hourly wages by NOC 2021 code), revised 19 November 2025; reference period 2023 to 2024 (Labour Force Survey and Employment Insurance survey data) and 2024 (Small Area Estimation).
- Job Bank, Questions and answers on wages, modified 8 January 2026 (low wage usually the 10th percentile, high wage usually the 90th, what the wages include, annual updates).
- Red Seal Program, Red Seal trades list and each trade’s page (NOC code), checked 28 October 2026; Welcome to Red Seal (what the endorsement means).
- Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0064-01, Employee wages by industry, annual (median hourly wage of full-time employees, all industries: $32.28 in 2024, $33.65 in 2025).
- Commission de la construction du Québec, Compliance with Act R-20 and the collective agreements (the four sector agreements).