How a BC apprenticeship leads to a Red Seal, what seven common trades pay according to Job Bank, and where to find training and funding information.
The Red Seal is Canada’s interprovincial standard of excellence for designated trades. In BC, apprenticeship and certification are run by SkilledTradesBC. SkilledTradesBC says most apprenticeships take an average of four years. About 80 per cent of the training happens on the worksite under a certified journeyperson, and 20 per cent is in-class technical training with a SkilledTradesBC-designated training provider. You earn while you train. The paperwork starts with registering your apprenticeship.
Already have the hours? You may be able to challenge the exam as a Trade Qualifier without finishing an apprenticeship. Step by step: how to challenge the Red Seal in BC. Booking soon? See the exam readiness checklist.
Red Seal exam tools on this site: Exam readiness checklist · Plumber Red Seal exam breakdown · Rewrite plan builder · Challenge as a Trade Qualifier · $5,000 completion bonus checker · Crane operators: compulsory from July 2027
These are Job Bank’s British Columbia hourly wages (low / median / high, reference period 2023–2024, from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey). They are the same figures used on our BC trade wages page, which has a section for each trade with its training length and hours. “Compulsory” means the trade is on SkilledTradesBC’s Skilled Trades Certification list, so you must be certified or registered as an apprentice to work in it.
| Trade | Low | Median | High | Compulsory in BC? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Duty Equipment Technician | $27.00 | $45.00 | $55.50 | No | Job Bank |
| Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) | $25.25 | $42.00 | $55.00 | No | Job Bank |
| Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic | $24.23 | $40.00 | $62.00 | Yes | Job Bank |
| Welder | $23.25 | $35.00 | $51.87 | No | Job Bank |
| Electrician (Construction) | $20.00 | $34.00 | $47.49 | Yes | Job Bank |
| Plumber | $23.00 | $32.00 | $48.00 | No | Job Bank |
| Carpenter | $23.00 | $32.00 | $43.71 | No | Job Bank |
The low figure is closer to what a newly certified worker in a smaller market earns. The high figure reflects experienced workers, overtime-heavy sectors and some union rates. Regional figures differ. For example, Job Bank shows Vancouver Island and Coast electricians below the provincial median and the North Coast and Northeast above it. Check your region on each trade’s Job Bank page.
Apprentice pay is set by the employer or collective agreement. It is usually a percentage of the journeyperson rate that rises as you complete each level.
Grants, loans, tax measures and EI rules for apprentices change often, and several federal measures were announced in 2026. The federal Apprenticeship Incentive and Completion Grants closed on March 31, 2025. Our BC apprentice funding guide covers EI and the reference code steps, WorkBC supports, the Canada Apprentice Loan, tax credits and the newly announced grants, each checked against the official page and linked. Heading to school soon? Its school-block money planner turns your class start date into a dated EI, WorkBC and loan checklist. Certified on or after April 1, 2025? See whether the $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus covers you (announced, not open yet). Still looking for a sponsor? Hand employers our free one-page “why hiring me pays you back” sheet. The official sources:
This guide relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked September 25, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.