Heavy Equipment Operator Salary in Canada | Breakdown by Province

In Canada, the median wage for heavy equipment operators is $32.50/hr.

Heavy equipment operators in Canada: job prospects, employment requirements, licensing.

Heavy equipment operators in Canada, classified under NOC 73400, operate heavy machinery such as bulldozers, excavators, loaders, backhoes, graders and other equipment used in construction, road building, mining, quarrying and material handling. Approximately 75,900 people worked in this occupation in 2023, with 33 percent aged 50 and over. Job prospects are balanced nationally through 2033, with about 30,300 projected job openings relatively similar to the expected 28,600 job seekers, driven by infrastructure projects, construction activity and replacement demand from retirements.

Median hourly wages stand at about 32.50 Canadian dollars, with typical ranges from 24.00 to 45.00 dollars or more per hour depending on experience, location, union status, and type of equipment or industry. Most positions require completion of a recognized heavy equipment operator training program, on-the-job experience and provincial certification where applicable, with work conditions involving full-time outdoor physical roles at construction sites, mines or industrial areas that often include early starts, overtime, exposure to weather extremes, noise, dust and strict safety protocols.

Licensing

Heavy equipment operators may be regulated in the province or territory you wish to settle in. Contact the regulatory authority and/or apprenticeship office in that province or territory.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (NOC 73400)
2025	Wages/hr
Community/Area	Low	Median	High
Canada	24.00	32.50	45.00
Newfoundland and Labrador	22.00	30.00	38.00
Prince Edward Island	18.25	24.00	35.00
Nova Scotia	18.00	25.00	35.50
New Brunswick	20.00	25.00	34.50
Quebec	24.00	36.00	43.40
Ontario	23.63	32.00	47.70
Manitoba	22.00	28.92	38.00
Saskatchewan	24.00	30.00	44.00
Alberta	26.00	34.30	45.00
British Columbia	27.00	35.75	46.00
Yukon Territory	32.65	39.00	42.00
Northwest Territories	26.80	43.73	64.01
Nunavut	21.87	38.08	51.49

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (NOC 73400)
2022	Wages ($/hour)
Province/Territory	Low	Median	High
Canada	20	30	41
Newfoundland and Labrador	19.63	26	36
Prince Edward Island	15.62	19	22
Nova Scotia	18	22.5	28
New Brunswick	17.5	21.75	30.77
Quebec	20	28.24	40
Ontario	20	29	42.73
Manitoba	19	27	37.36
Saskatchewan	22.56	30	42.9
Alberta	24	32	40
British Columbia	25	32.75	45
Yukon Territory	25	32	36.6
Northwest Territories	22.5	30	45.5
Nunavut	25	32	39.32
Source: Job Bank. 2023

In Canada, median wages for heavy equipment operators ranged from $17.00 to $36.06 per hour.

In 2016, heavy equipment operators reported higher wages in Alberta.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS (EXCEPT CRANE) (NOC 7521-C)
	Wages ($/hr)
Province/Territory	Low	Median	High
Canada	17	26	36.06
Alberta	22	30	40
Newfoundland & Labrador	17.31	24.25	37
Ontario	17	25	37
Northwest Territories	23	28	36
British Columbia	18	27.86	35
Québec	15.56	24	35
Yukon	22	28.53	35
Nunavut	22	28	34.17
Saskatchewan	18	25	34
Prince Edward Island	15	21	33
Manitoba	17	22	31
Nova Scotia	16	21	31
New Brunswick	13.7	18	30
Source: Job Bank. November 2016*

*Wages are reviewed and updated on the Job Bank Web site on an annual basis.