Red Seal trades directory
Fifteen popular Red Seal trades: what each job involves, apprenticeship hours by province, the Red Seal exam, and Job Bank wages and outlooks. Free, with official sources.
Independent guide: TradeCareersHub.com is not part of the Red Seal Program or any government, and the Red Seal Program does not endorse any test preparation companies. Every number here comes from an official source listed at the end of the page. Rules change, so confirm with your apprenticeship authority.
Updated: Oct 2026.
The trades
Pick a trade for the full guide. Median wages are Canada-wide hourly figures from Job Bank's 2025 wages for the matching NOC group.
| Trade | NOC | Exam questions | Median wage, Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Electrician | 72200 | 100 | $35.00 |
| Plumber | 72300 | 125 | $34.00 |
| Carpenter | 72310 | 100 | $32.12 |
| Welder | 72106 | 125 | $30.00 |
| Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic | 72402 | 125 | $37.50 |
| Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) | 72400 | 135 | $37.00 |
| Heavy Duty Equipment Technician | 72401 | 135 | $37.12 |
| Automotive Service Technician | 72410 | 125 | $29.89 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | 72102 | 120 | $34.07 |
| Steamfitter/Pipefitter | 72301 | 130 | $43.89 |
| Ironworker (Generalist) | 72105 | 120 | $43.00 |
| Boilermaker | 72103 | 120 | $49.00 |
| Mobile Crane Operator | 72500 | 110 | $42.77 |
| Cook | 63200 | 150 | $18.00 |
| Hairstylist | 63210 | 120 | $19.88 |
Free tools
Red Seal exam guide
How the exam works, booking, retakes, study tips and the challenge route.
Read the guide →Compare wages
Pick a trade and a province to see Job Bank's low, median and high wages.
Open the tool →Trade calculators
Hours tracker, Ohm's law and voltage drop, stairs and rafters, unit conversions.
Open the calculators →About the data
- Red Seal details and exam breakdowns come from each trade's pages on red-seal.ca.
- Apprenticeship levels and hours come from the Ellis Chart, the interprovincial comparison of apprenticeship programs.
- Wages come from Job Bank's 2025 wages (revised November 19, 2025) and outlooks from Job Bank's 2025–2027 Employment Outlooks (published December 10, 2025).
- NOC groups can be broader than a single trade, for example NOC 72106 covers welders and related machine operators.
FAQ
What is a Red Seal trade?
The Red Seal Program sets common standards for certain skilled trades across Canada. If you pass the interprovincial Red Seal exam in one of these trades, the Red Seal endorsement on your certificate is recognized in the participating provinces and territories.
How many Red Seal trades are there?
The Red Seal Program lists 54 Red Seal trades. Provinces and territories designate many more trades of their own.
What mark do I need to pass a Red Seal exam?
The Red Seal Exam Preparation Guide gives a pass mark of 70%. Exams are multiple choice with four options per question and a 4-hour time limit.
Where do the wages on these pages come from?
From Job Bank (Government of Canada) 2025 wages open data, revised November 19, 2025. Most figures come from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for 2023–2024.
Sources
- Red Seal Program — Red Seal trades (opens in a new tab)
- Red Seal Program — Red Seal Exam Preparation Guide (opens in a new tab)
- Ellis Chart — Interprovincial comparison of apprenticeship training (ellischart.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — Wages open data, 2025 Wages file (revised November 19, 2025), Open Government Portal (opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — Questions and Answers on Wages (opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — 3-Year Employment Outlooks, 2025–2027 (published December 10, 2025), Open Government Portal (opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — 3-year Employment Outlooks: Questions and Answers (opens in a new tab)