What does a Red Seal 310S Automotive Service Technician actually earn — from apprentice to diagnostic specialist? Here's the honest breakdown.
Job Bank projects a moderate risk of labour shortage for the occupation (NOC 72410) nationally over 2024–2033, and its median wage, $29.89/hr, is below those of heavy-duty equipment mechanics and construction electricians (2023–2024 data). Red Seal's occupational standard lists ADAS sensor calibration and more complex vehicle management systems among the trade's trends.
Understanding the pay structure, including the critical difference between flat-rate and hourly pay systems, is essential to making smart career decisions in this trade.
Job Bank wages for NOC 72410 on this page cover everyone in the occupation, apprentices included, not only certified tradespeople. The 310S exam is 125 questions in 4 hours and the pass mark is 70%, which is 88 correct answers; SkilledTradesBC rounds results up from 69.5%, so 87 correct also passes there.
See what the questions look like — 139 free 310S practice questions → No account, no sign-up.
Automotive apprenticeships take about four years in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Some provinces regulate the minimum apprentice wage: Nova Scotia sets it as a percentage of the journeyperson wage in the same place of employment (table below; N.S. Reg. 185/2016, checked September 2026), and Manitoba sets regulated minimum rates specific to each trade and level (Apprenticeship Manitoba, checked September 2026). These are minimums; employers may pay more.
| Apprenticeship Level | Hours (Nova Scotia) | Minimum wage in Nova Scotia (% of journeyperson wage in the same place of employment, N.S. Reg. 185/2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 0–900 / 901–1800 | 50% / 55% |
| Level 2 | 1801–2700 / 2701–3600 | 60% / 65% |
| Level 3 | 3601–4500 / 4501–5400 | 70% / 75% |
| Level 4 | 5401–6300 / 6301–7200 | 85% / 90% |
Once you are certified as a journeyperson, your pay is no longer set by apprentice minimums. Job Bank does not split wages for NOC 72410 by employer type and does not publish separate wages for EV, hybrid or master technicians.
| Role | Typical Hourly/Flat Rate | Annual Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| All workers in NOC 72410, Canada (Job Bank, 2023-2024 wages) | $19.00 – $43.27/hr (median $29.89) | ~$39,520 – $90,002 at 40 hrs/wk |
| Diagnostic / Master Technician | No official figure | Job Bank has no separate wage for this role (diagnostic technicians are part of NOC 72410); its high wage for NOC 72410, in most cases the 90th percentile, is $43.27/hr (2023-2024 wages) |
| EV / Hybrid Specialist | No official figure | Job Bank has no separate wage for EV or hybrid specialists; its high wage for NOC 72410, in most cases the 90th percentile, is $43.27/hr (2023-2024 wages) |
| Shop Foreman (NOC 72020) | $25.00 – $60.00/hr (median $40.00) | ~$52,000 – $124,800 at 40 hrs/wk (Job Bank, 2023-2024 wages) |
| Service Advisor, auto repair (NOC 64409) | $16.00 – $33.14/hr (median $22.00) | ~$33,280 – $68,931 at 40 hrs/wk (Job Bank, 2023-2024 wages) |
Automotive technician wages vary less dramatically by province than other mechanical trades, partly because the market is dominated by national dealer networks with standardized wage bands. In Job Bank's 2023-2024 wage data, British Columbia has the highest provincial median ($35.00/hr); Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario share a $30.00/hr median, and Manitoba's is $27.50/hr.
| Province | Job Bank hourly wage, low – high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $20.00 – $49.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
| Alberta | $19.84 – $47.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
| Saskatchewan | $18.00 – $43.50/hr | $30.00/hr |
| Ontario | $18.75 – $43.27/hr | $30.00/hr |
| Quebec | $20.00 – $40.00/hr | $28.00/hr |
| Manitoba | $17.00 – $40.00/hr | $27.50/hr |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $17.50 – $41.00/hr | $27.00/hr |
| Prince Edward Island | $17.30 – $32.00/hr | $25.50/hr |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 – $36.32/hr | $25.00/hr |
| New Brunswick | $16.00 – $33.00/hr | $24.75/hr |
| Canada | $19.00 – $43.27/hr | $29.89/hr |
| Source: Job Bank, NOC 72410, 2023-2024 wages (updated November 2025). Low is, in most cases, the 10th percentile and high the 90th; figures cover everyone in the occupation, apprentices included. | ||
Job Bank does not split wages by employer type: it publishes wages for NOC 72410 by region. Compare the pay structure each employer offers.
Job Bank does not publish separate pay for dealership or master technicians; for comparison, its high wage for NOC 72410, in most cases the 90th percentile, is $43.27/hr (2023-2024 wages).
As Canada's EV market grows, shops specializing in Tesla, Rivian, GM EV, and hybrid systems are emerging. Job Bank does not publish a separate wage for EV technicians (checked October 2026).
Corporate fleets, rental car companies (Enterprise, National, Avis), and taxi/rideshare operators maintain large vehicle fleets with in-house service departments. Ask whether the job pays hourly or flat rate.
Compare each independent shop's rate, pay system and benefits with a dealership's offer.
| Trade (NOC 2021) | Job Bank Canada, low – high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 310S — Automotive Service Technician (72410) | $19.00 – $43.27/hr | $29.89/hr |
| 310T — Truck & Transport Mechanic (72410) | $19.00 – $43.27/hr | $29.89/hr |
| 421A — Heavy Duty Equipment Technician (72401) | $23.87 – $55.00/hr | $37.12/hr |
| 309A — Construction Electrician (72200) | $20.00 – $48.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
| Source: Job Bank, 2023-2024 wages (updated November 2025). 310S and 310T share one NOC code, so Job Bank publishes one set of figures for both. | ||
Automotive technicians have a lower median wage than heavy-duty equipment mechanics and construction electricians: the Job Bank national median is $29.89/hr for NOC 72410, against $37.12/hr for heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401) and $35.00/hr for construction electricians (NOC 72200) (2023-2024 wages).
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Start 310S Practice Questions →Job Bank lists hourly wages of $19.00–$43.27 (median $29.89) across Canada for automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (NOC 72410), based on 2023-2024 data updated November 2025. Job Bank does not publish separate wages for EV, hybrid or master technicians. Its figures cover the whole occupation, apprentices included.
Job Bank does not split them: it publishes wages for NOC 72410 by region, not by employer type, and the occupation's employers include motor vehicle dealers, garages and automotive specialty shops alike. For the whole occupation, Job Bank's high wage — in most cases the 90th percentile, so about 90% of workers earn it or less — is $43.27/hour nationally (2023-2024 data, updated November 2025).
Flat-rate pay means technicians earn a fixed number of hours per job regardless of actual time spent. For example, if a brake job is billed at 2.0 flat-rate hours and you complete it in 1.5 hours, you still earn the 2.0-hour rate. Efficient technicians can bill more flat-rate hours than they spend at work, earning above their posted hourly rate — or below it if work is slow.
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