“Mechanic” covers several trades in Canada’s occupation system. Job Bank puts automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers in one occupation (NOC 72410), and lists heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401), aircraft mechanics and motorcycle mechanics separately. This page covers what automotive technicians earn by province, how the other mechanic trades compare, how flat-rate pay works, and the apprenticeship route in Ontario. It is part of the salary by profession hub; welder pay in Canada and truck driver pay cover two neighbouring occupations.
Hourly wages for automotive service technicians by province
Job Bank groups automotive service technicians with truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers. The group’s national median is $29.89 an hour; by province it goes from $24.75 in New Brunswick to $35.00 in British Columbia, and it is $30.00 in Alberta and $30.00 in Ontario. Paid at the national median, a technician working 2,080 hours a year (40 a week) would make about $62,171; flat-rate pay, overtime and slow weeks change what a given technician takes home.
| Region | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) | Period and data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $19.00 | $29.89 | $43.27 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $17.50 | $27.00 | $41.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Prince Edward Island | $16.65 | $25.50 | $32.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | $25.00 | $36.32 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| New Brunswick | $16.00 | $24.75 | $33.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Quebec | $20.00 | $28.00 | $40.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Ontario | $18.75 | $30.00 | $43.27 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Manitoba | $17.00 | $27.50 | $40.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Saskatchewan | $18.00 | $30.00 | $43.50 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Alberta | $19.84 | $30.00 | $47.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| British Columbia | $20.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Yukon | $22.46 | $35.02 | $45.17 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
| Northwest Territories | $23.00 | $42.00 | $58.00 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Nunavut | $21.69 | $35.58 | $51.87 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada), NOC 72410. Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
Census income for automotive technicians and truck and bus mechanics
The 2021 Census measured employment income in 2020 for people who worked the full year, full time. For automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers, the median was $57,600 across Canada, $67,500 in Alberta and $60,000 in Ontario. The Census figures are 2020 incomes. The columns in today’s dollars adjust them for inflation with the Consumer Price Index, which is not the same as newer pay data; Job Bank’s hourly wages above are the more recent source.
| Province | Median, 2020 | Median in August 2026 dollars | Average in August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $57,600 | $71,400 | $74,400 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $54,400 | $67,400 | $71,400 |
| Prince Edward Island | $50,000 | $62,000 | $61,500 |
| Nova Scotia | $52,800 | $65,500 | $66,000 |
| New Brunswick | $51,200 | $63,500 | $63,900 |
| Quebec | $51,200 | $63,500 | $65,500 |
| Ontario | $60,000 | $74,400 | $75,700 |
| Manitoba | $52,800 | $65,500 | $68,000 |
| Saskatchewan | $62,400 | $77,400 | $77,500 |
| Alberta | $67,500 | $83,700 | $87,200 |
| British Columbia | $66,000 | $81,800 | $84,200 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Table 98-10-0586-01: employment income in 2020 of people who worked full year, full time. Columns in August 2026 dollars multiply the 2020 figure by the change in the Consumer Price Index from its 2020 average to August 2026 and round to the nearest $100; they are not newer survey results.
Heavy-duty, aircraft and other mechanic trades
Job Bank’s national wages for the main mechanic occupations, side by side:
| Occupation (NOC) | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410) | $19.00 | $29.89 | $43.27 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (72401) | $23.87 | $37.12 | $55.00 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (72404) | $24.48 | $39.00 | $52.88 |
| Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics (72423) | $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 |
| Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators (72411) | $18.50 | $27.00 | $40.00 |
| Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades (72020) | $25.00 | $40.00 | $60.00 |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada), 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey. Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
For heavy-duty equipment mechanics the national median is $37.12 an hour, against $29.89 for automotive service technicians. The last row is the occupation group for contractors and supervisors in the mechanic trades.
How flat-rate pay works
Some dealerships and repair shops pay technicians a flat rate: each job carries a set number of “book” hours, and the technician is paid for those hours whether the job takes more or less time. Pay then depends on how many book hours a technician completes, which in turn depends on how much work the shop has, not just on speed.
A technician is paid $30 per flagged (book) hour and is at the shop 40 hours a week. In a busy week the completed jobs carry 46 book hours: pay is $1,380, or $34.50 for each hour at the shop. In a slow week with 30 book hours, pay is $900, or $22.50 for each hour at the shop.Hourly and salaried positions avoid that swing in exchange for giving up the upside of a busy week. How flat-rate pay has to line up with minimum-wage rules is set by each province’s employment standards; current rates are on the minimum wage page, and the hourly to salary calculator converts an hourly rate into a yearly figure.
Employed mechanics who buy their own tools may be able to deduct part of the cost; the CRA’s rules for tradespeople and apprentice mechanics are covered in can you deduct tools on your taxes.
The apprenticeship in Ontario
Apprenticeship hours and rules are set by each province and territory. In Ontario, three of Skilled Trades Ontario’s apprenticeships correspond to the occupations above. The hours below are the general time-frames it gives for each trade:
| Trade (Ontario) | Total hours | On the job | In school | About | Ontario status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Service Technician | 7,220 | 6,500 | 720 | approximately four years | compulsory |
| Truck and Coach Technician | 6,720 | 6,000 | 720 | approximately three and a half years | compulsory |
| Heavy Duty Equipment Technician | 7,000 | 6,280 | 720 | approximately three and a half years | non-compulsory |
The in-school part of the automotive service technician program is split into three levels. The “status” column matters for who can do the work. For a compulsory trade such as automotive service technician, practising legally in Ontario takes a Registered Training Agreement, Provisional Certificate of Qualification or Certificate of Qualification, and the person must appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register; an automotive service technician’s Certificate of Qualification must be renewed to be valid. Skilled Trades Ontario lists heavy duty equipment technician as non-compulsory. In a non-compulsory trade in Ontario, you don't have to be certified to work, and a Certificate of Qualification earned in it doesn't have to be renewed.
The Certificate of Qualification comes from passing the certifying exam. In Ontario, you can take a trade's certifying exam once you complete an Ontario apprenticeship and receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship, or, as an experienced worker, once Skilled Trades Ontario approves you through a Trade Equivalency Assessment; the exam fee is $150 + HST per attempt, but apprentices with completed training agreements don't pay it for their first attempt.
The Red Seal endorsement
Skilled Trades Ontario lists each of these three trades as part of the Interprovincial Red Seal Program. A Red Seal endorsement is added to your provincial or territorial trade certificate once you pass the interprovincial Red Seal examination for your trade; it shows you meet that trade's national standard and helps you move between provinces, but certification to work in a trade is still issued by each province or territory. The trades workers pay guide explains the Red Seal program in more detail.
Running your own shop
Some technicians open their own repair shop or work as mobile mechanics. Income then comes from labour charged to customers and parts sold, minus rent, equipment, insurance and staff, so it depends on the business rather than a wage rate; none of the wage figures above measure it. The small business tax deductions guide covers what a shop owner can deduct.
Related pages
- Salary by profession in Canada
- How much trades workers make in Canada
- How much welders make in Canada
- How much truck drivers make in Canada
- How much electricians and plumbers make in Canada
- How much pilots make in Canada
→ Back to: Canadian Income Guide
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026. How we check facts.
- Government of Canada: Wages - Open Government Portal
- red-seal.ca: Red Seal Program
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Automotive Service Technician - Skilled Trades Ontario
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Truck and Coach Technician - Skilled Trades Ontario
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Heavy Duty Equipment Technician - Skilled Trades Ontario
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Work in the non-compulsory trades - Skilled Trades Ontario
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Welder - Skilled Trades Ontario
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Finish an apprenticeship - Skilled Trades Ontario
- skilledtradesontario.ca: Exam scheduling - Skilled Trades Ontario
- Statistics Canada: Statistics Canada
- Statistics Canada: Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted
- Statistics Canada: Consumer Price Index, monthly, not seasonally adjusted