Average starting salaries for entry level skilled trades jobs

A career in a skilled trade requires both a mental and physical investment in a task or a project, and there’s always the unmistakable pride of working at your craft and knowing first hand that you’re doing it well.

The skilled trades are among the best paid careers for young Canadians and they are poised to become even more lucrative due to the rising demand for skilled labour. According to Statistics Canada, employees in the trades earn an average hourly wage that is 6% higher than other occupations: $22.36 compared with $21.02.

The highest earners were electricians ($25.26), crane operators ($24.61) and plumbers ($24.10), and these occupations also had the highest unionization rates and high job permanency rates. In contrast, trades with lower averages – other construction trades ($19.24) and carpenters ($20.43) – had substantially lower unionization rates (32% and 39% respectively).

Within a few years of becoming a journeyperson, some tradespeople can expect to double their starting wage or salary and, with overtime pay, some even earn 6-figure salaries.

Source: http://talentegg.ca/incubator/2012/03/13/average-starting-salaries-entry-level-skilled-trades-jobs/