Reports · Automotive Refinishing Technician (Red Seal)
TRADE REPORT · LAST VERIFIED 2026-07-10
Automotive Refinishing Technician (410N) Wages & Outlook in Canada — Trade Report
Also known as: Automotive Painter, 410N, auto painter, paint tech, refinisher.
Here's the automotive refinishing technician (red seal) trade in Canada without the filler: real pay data, real demand signals, the actual certification steps, and how the exam is built — every number sourced.
The trade in 30 seconds
This trade employed about 29,700 people across Canada as of 2023 (NOC 72411 (group bundles auto body/collision techs, automotive painters/refinishers, automotive glass techs, damage repair estimators, and manufacturing metal repairers + apprentices; stats are not refinishers-alone)) [2]. Trade certification is compulsory in Alberta, Quebec; voluntary in Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories; not offered in Nunavut. Quebec is C/V (dual designation) per Ellis, not cleanly compulsory like Alberta — placed in compulsory_in as the more conservative read (a learner should not assume voluntary); Quebec's own CPA/Emploi-Québec pages were not fetched to resolve which activities are which. [4]
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What you'll earn
According to Job Bank's own wage data (reference period 2023-2024), the national median sits at $27.00/hour, with a spread from $18.50 to $40.00 [1]. The published spread runs from $25.00/hour in Newfoundland & Labrador to $36.46/hour in Yukon.
Median hourly wage by province/territory, highest to lowest
Some smaller jurisdictions don't publish separate wage data for this occupation.
View exact numbers
| Province / territory | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Yukon | $36.46 | $28.45–$47.47 |
| British Columbia | $31.82 | $21.22–$47.65 |
| Ontario | $29.00 | $18.00–$43.27 |
| Alberta | $28.75 | $17.00–$36.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $27.50 | $17.00–$40.38 |
| Manitoba | $27.00 | $17.00–$41.03 |
| New Brunswick | $26.50 | $17.00–$32.00 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $25.00 | $21.75–$32.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $25.00 | $18.00–$33.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $25.00 | $23.56–$37.00 |
| Quebec | $25.00 | $20.00–$36.00 |
| Northwest Territories | — | no data published |
| Nunavut | — | no data published |
Source: Job Bank wage report, NOC 72411, updated 2026-06-02 [1]. Non-wage benefits reach 77.8% of workers in this occupation nationally, per the same source.
The Red Seal was designed to be portable — if you have one, the numbers above are a real basis for comparing what a move could be worth.
Where the jobs are
The official federal assessment for 2024–2033: labour demand and supply expected to be broadly in line, 2024-2033 — a balanced-market call, not a shortage [3] The workforce is 31% aged 50 or older, with a median retirement age of 63.0 [2]. Most work is in repair, personal and household services 89%; retail trade 7% (top-2 partial breakdown — does not sum to 100%) [3].
Why openings exist
expansion ~18%; replacement ~82%; seekers composition (as fetched): school leavers ~79%, new immigrants ~22% (can exceed 100% because net occupational mobility can be negative).
Job Bank 3-year employment outlook by province
View as a table
| Rating | Provinces |
|---|---|
| Good | Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan |
| Moderate | Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta |
| Limited | Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec, British Columbia |
| Undetermined | Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut |
Source: Job Bank outlook report, NOC 72411, updated 2026-06-02 [2].
The path to Red Seal
Total apprenticeship hours, by jurisdiction
Sorted shortest to longest. A few trade-qualifier-only or differently-measured jurisdictions aren't safely comparable as an hours figure and are omitted here -- see the full breakdown below.
View exact numbers
- 3,600 total hours (2 levels) in NB (3,040 on-job + 560 in-school, 14 wks)/MB (3,180+420,12wks)/SK (3,240+360,12wks)/BC (3,300+300,10wks)/YT (3,200+300,10wks)/NT (3,240+360,12wks)
- Alberta 2 periods of 1,620 work hours + 6 wks classroom each (3,240 on-job + 12 wks, per Tradesecrets — matches Ellis)
- Ontario 4,800 (4,560 on-job + 240 in-class, ~2.5 years, 1 level, per Skilled Trades Ontario — matches Ellis exactly)
- NL/NS/PE/QC list NO apprenticeship program (trade-qualifier route only)
- Nunavut has no Red Seal designation and no apprenticeship at all
Source: interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison [4].
Working the trade already but never certified?
Challenge / trade-qualifier hours, by jurisdiction
- 5,400 NL/NS/NB/SK/YT/NT
- 10,000 PE
- 7,200 MB
- 4,950 BC
- 4,860 AB (Tradesecrets: 36 months + 4,860 hours + theory exam — matches Ellis exactly)
- 4,800 ON
- no challenge route in QC
- not available in NU
Source: interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison [4].
Money on the table: the federal Team Canada Strong package includes: $6B plan to recruit 80,000-100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over five years; $400/week Apprenticeship Training Grant during in-class technical training, worth up to $16,000 per apprentice, in addition to EI; one-time $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus. amounts are 'up to' figures; first payments expected no earlier than fall 2026; core funding starts 2026-27 [11]
- trade-name variants: 'Automotive Painter' (Ontario, code 410N — NOT to be confused with '310B' Auto Body and Collision Damage Repairer, a different trade), 'Auto Body Refinisher' (Alberta) [8]
- adjacent SEPARATE Red Seal tickets: Auto Body and Collision Technician, Automotive Service Technician — do not conflate [7]
- MB requires a practical final exam for trade qualifiers only (not apprenticeship completers) [4]
The exam — and what to study most
The interprovincial exam for this trade is 120 questions, pass mark 70% [10], writing time four hours [5]. It is not weighted evenly — the official block weightings tell you where your study time should go:
Official exam weightings, highest to lowest
Sorted highest to lowest — Preparation (top) carries the most marks on its own (42%).
View exact numbers
| Block | Share of exam | ≈ Questions |
|---|---|---|
| B — Preparation | 42% | ~50 |
| C — Refinishing procedures | 42% | ~50 |
| A — Common occupational skills | 16% | ~20 |
Source: Red Seal exam information [5].
The takeaway: Preparation makes up 42% of the exam by itself. Don't guess where you're weak — a block-scored diagnostic run will tell you. Try a free diagnostic on Automotive Refinishing Technician (Red Seal) →
Practice against the same standard
Practice questions for automotive refinishing technician (red seal) are built against the same standard shown above, organized the same way — so a weak block in practice is a weak block on exam day. Free to start, no account required. The full bank runs 611 questions.
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The best links
- red-seal.ca — Official Red Seal trade page: description, standard, exam info.
- red-seal.ca — The exam's authoritative 120-question breakdown across 3 blocks.
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Government of Canada wage data by province (2023-2024).
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Job Bank: 3-year prospects by province + the 10-year national outlook.
- ellischart.ca — Ellis Chart (ESDC): hours, ratios, and certification status per jurisdiction.
- www.skilledtradesontario.ca — Ontario's regulator page for 410N: the 4,800-hour program.
- tradesecrets.alberta.ca — Alberta's compulsory profile: 2-period structure, 36-month/4,860-hour challenge route.
Sources
- Job Bank — Wages: Automotive Refinishing Technician (NOC 72411). Data period 2023-2024; updated 2026-06-02. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Job Bank — Outlook (NOC 72411). updated 2026-06-02. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- ESDC — Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) 2024-2033. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Ellis Chart (ESDC) — interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal — exam information. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal — exam weightings. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Official Red Seal trade page: description, standard, exam info. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Ontario's regulator page for 410N: the 4,800-hour program. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Alberta's compulsory profile: 2-period structure, 36-month/4,860-hour challenge route. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal — Exam Preparation Guide (70% pass mark, four-hour writing time). Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Prime Minister's Office — Team Canada Strong announcement. updated 2026-04-29. Accessed 2026-07-10.
Take this as a dated, sourced snapshot, not advice. Wage and outlook numbers change over time — the linked government sources above always have today's figures.