Earnings and mobility indicators for newly certified journeypersons in Canada, 2023
Released: 2026-02-13
In 2023, median employment income one year after certification reached $58,090 for newly certified journeypersons, an increase of 1.8% (+$1,080) from the previous year. This gain brings median employment income to the highest level observed for this group since the start of the series in 2008.
The median employment income of newly certified journeypersons is an important indicator of labour market conditions, reflecting early post-certification earnings and demand for skilled tradespeople.
Variation in year-over-year income growth across trades and provinces
In 2023, most trades recorded an increase in the median employment income of newly certified journeypersons compared with the previous year. Gains for agricultural equipment technicians (+10.1%; up $6,060 to $65,770), heavy-duty equipment technicians (+7.5%; up $6,160 to $88,230) and truck and transport mechanics (+6.8%; up $4,460 to $69,580) were among the four largest increases. These trades have experienced consistent year-over-year income growth since 2020, reflecting sustained demand in equipment-related and transportation sectors.
Conversely, some trades recorded notable declines in median employment income in 2023. Newly certified landscape horticulturists (-9.2%; down $3,570 to $35,210), machinists (-4.0%; down $2,450 to $58,180) and powerline technicians (-3.8%; down $4,110 to $104,190) experienced the largest decreases compared with 2022. While median employment incomes have generally increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, earnings in certain trades have not yet fully returned to their pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, ironworkers (-3.4%) and motor vehicle body repairers (-2.3%) continued to earn median employment incomes below their respective 2019 baselines.
At the provincial level, four provinces, representing together 64.4% of all tradespeople, recorded declines in median employment income from 2022 to 2023: New Brunswick (-3.0%; -$1,720), Quebec (-1.9%; -$1,010), Ontario (-0.8%; -$460) and Nova Scotia (-0.4%; -$230).
As a result, the overall increase in median employment income across Canada was driven largely by the remaining six provinces. These saw substantial income growth, particularly in trades such as powerline technicians in British Columbia (+17.0%; +$23,750), crane operators in Alberta (+16.7%; +$17,530), and welders (+13.1%; +$7,120) and heavy-duty equipment technicians (+12.3%; +$10,020) in Saskatchewan.
Chart 1
Percent change in median employment income of newly certified journeypersons in 2023, by trade
Alberta continues to face negative net migration
In 2023, one year after certification, 6.0% of newly certified journeypersons lived or worked in a province or territory different from where they were certified. This represented a slight increase (+0.3%) from 2022, continuing the upward trend in interprovincial mobility observed since pandemic-related restrictions were lifted.
British Columbia remained a top destination for newly certified migrant journeypersons, attracting 22.8% of movers in 2023. The province also recorded a notable increase in net migration, meaning more journeypersons moved into the province than out of it, resulting in a net gain of 225 journeypersons (+3.3%). Ontario likewise saw a net gain, accounting for 20.8% of movers, although the increase was more modest over the same period (+65 journeypersons; +0.7%).
In contrast, Alberta (-175 journeypersons; -3.2%) continued to record negative net migration in 2023, extending a trend that began in 2016. While Alberta's energy sector, particularly oil and gas extraction, has shown substantial recovery following the 2020 downturn, the construction sector, especially non-energy construction, has been slower to rebound.
Chart 2
Annual mobility rate of journeypersons in Canada, 2009 to 2023
Note to readers
Context
This release includes data from the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform, from 2008 to 2023. For more information on the concepts and the methodology used in this study, consult "Earnings indicators for certified journeypersons in Canada, 2020," and "Indicators on the interprovincial and territorial mobility of certified journeypersons, 2020." Both articles are part of the publication Technical Reference Guides for the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Catalogue number 37200001).
Data, definitions and concepts
Earnings indicators were derived at the aggregate level for all trades and at the disaggregate level for selected trades, including the 25 Red Seal trades with the largest number of certifications from 2008 to 2023 and 5 non-Red Seal trades. Four of the five non-Red Seal trades (child and youth worker, developmental services worker, early childhood educator, and educational assistant) are only considered designated trades in Ontario.
Mobility indicators were derived at the aggregate level for all trades and at the trade level for the 15 Red Seal trades with the largest number of certifications from 2008 to 2023.
Certification: The requirements for granting a certificate vary by jurisdiction in Canada. In most cases, apprentices are issued a certificate when they fulfill such requirements as supervised on-the-job training, technical training and passing one or more examinations. Trade qualifiers, meanwhile, become certified once they pass an examination.
Employment income: This income includes employment earnings (wages and salaries, commissions from employment, training allowances, tips and gratuities, and tax-exempted Indian employment income) and net self-employment income (net income from a business, a profession, farming, fishing and commissions). It is adjusted for inflation and presented in 2018 constant dollars.
Interprovincial mobility: Interprovincial mobility is calculated by comparing the jurisdiction of certification in a trade (in the Registered Apprenticeship Information System) with the province or territory of residence (recorded in the T1 Family File) and the province or territory of employment (obtained from T4 slips) one or three years after certification.
Journeypersons: Journeypersons are individuals who have completed an apprenticeship program or trade qualifiers who have earned a certificate of qualification.
Migrant population of journeypersons: This population consists of newly certified journeypersons who live in a different province or territory from the one where they certified.
Registered apprentices: These are individuals in a supervised work training program in a designated trade within their provincial or territorial jurisdiction. Apprentices must be registered with the appropriate governing body (usually a ministry of education or labour, or a trade-specific industry governing body).
Newly certified journeypersons who live and work in the same province or territory of certification show no interprovincial mobility.
Products
The product "Canadian Apprenticeship Longitudinal Indicators" is available as part of the series Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products (71-607-X).
The following technical reference guides are available: "Earnings indicators for certified journeypersons in Canada, 2020," and "Indicators on the interprovincial and territorial mobility of certified journeypersons, 2020." Both guides are part of the Technical Reference Guides for the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (37200001).
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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