REPORTS
The Red Seal trades, compared
What each trade pays, where Canada actually projects a shortage, and why those openings exist — every figure from Job Bank and COPS, dated and sourced. Tap any trade for its full report: wages by province, the apprenticeship path, and the real exam weightings.
What the trades pay
Canada-wide median, Job Bank. A median is the middle of the published range, not a starting wage — each report breaks its trade down by province.
Where the shortage actually is
Every one of these trades is officially projected short of workers, which makes "shortage" a useless way to tell them apart. The number that does vary is the size of the gap — how many openings COPS projects against how many people it expects to be looking.
Projected openings minus projected job-seekers, 2024–2033 (COPS). To the right of the line, more work than people; to the left, more competition for it. These are national ten-year projections, not today's job board. COPS publishes no projection for Welder.
Why the openings exist
Weighted by each trade's own projected openings, across the 22 trades where COPS publishes the split. Most openings in the skilled trades are not new jobs — they are the retirement wave.
Every trade
| Trade | Median wage | Openings − seekers |
|---|---|---|
| Instrumentation & Control Technician 447A | $46.00/hr | even |
| Powerline Technician 434A | $46.00/hr | even |
| Steamfitter / Pipefitter 307A | $43.89/hr | −800 |
| Industrial Electrician 442A | $42.00/hr | −600 |
| Bricklayer 401A | $40.00/hr | +200 |
| Agricultural Equipment Technician 425A | $37.12/hr | +400 |
| Heavy Duty Equipment Technician 421A | $37.12/hr | +400 |
| Millwright 433A | $37.00/hr | even |
| Construction Electrician 309A | $35.00/hr | +500 |
| Concrete Finisher 244G | $34.00/hr | even |
| Plumber 306A | $34.00/hr | −1.2k |
| Lather / Interior Systems Mechanic 451A | $33.00/hr | +500 |
| Carpenter 403A | $32.12/hr | +5.9k |
| Machinist 429A | $30.00/hr | +500 |
| Welder 456A | $30.00/hr | not published |
| Automotive Service Technician 310S | $29.89/hr | +1k |
| Painter & Decorator 404C | $28.00/hr | +500 |
| Auto Body and Collision Technician 310B | $27.00/hr | −1.1k |
| Automotive Refinishing Technician 410N | $27.00/hr | −1.1k |
| Floorcovering Installer 448A | $26.00/hr | −100 |
| Cabinetmaker 438A | $24.00/hr | even |
| Hairstylist 332A | $19.88/hr | −100 |
| Cook 415A | $18.00/hr | +900 |
| Baker 423A | $17.50/hr | +500 |
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