Reports · Auto Body and Collision Technician (Red Seal)
TRADE REPORT · LAST VERIFIED 2026-08-10
Auto Body and Collision Technician (310B) Wages & Outlook in Canada — Trade Report
Also known as: Auto Body and Collision Damage Repairer, 310B, auto body technician, collision repair. In Ontario this is a compulsory certified trade (310B).
A no-filler look at the auto body and collision technician (red seal) trade in Canada — pay, outlook, certification, and exam structure, each fact traced to its government or regulator source.
The trade in 30 seconds
This trade employed about 29,700 people across Canada as of 2023 (NOC 72411 (Job Bank/COPS group 72411 includes refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators; the stats are not collision-repair-only)) [2]. This trade has been Red Seal-designated since 1964 [7]. Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec; voluntary in Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut. Quebec: Ellis notation C/V (compulsory/voluntary mixed), not cleanly compulsory like NS/ON/AB — placed as the more conservative read; Quebec's own pages were not fetched to resolve which activities are which.. [4]
Practice Auto Body and Collision Technician (Red Seal) free →
What you'll earn
The national median, per Job Bank's wage report (reference period 2023-2024), is $27.00/hour, with a spread from $18.50 to $40.00 [1]. The published spread runs from $25.00/hour in Newfoundland & Labrador to $36.46/hour in Yukon.
Median hourly wage by province/territory, highest to lowest
Some smaller jurisdictions don't publish separate wage data for this occupation.
View exact numbers
| Province / territory | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Yukon | $36.46 | $28.45–$47.47 |
| British Columbia | $31.82 | $21.22–$47.65 |
| Ontario | $29.00 | $18.00–$43.27 |
| Alberta | $28.75 | $17.00–$36.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $27.50 | $17.00–$40.38 |
| Manitoba | $27.00 | $17.00–$41.03 |
| New Brunswick | $26.50 | $17.00–$32.00 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $25.00 | $21.75–$32.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $25.00 | $18.00–$33.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $25.00 | $23.56–$37.00 |
| Quebec | $25.00 | $20.00–$36.00 |
| Northwest Territories | — | no data published |
| Nunavut | — | no data published |
Source: Job Bank wage report, NOC 72411, updated 2025-11-19 [1]. The same Job Bank page reports 77.8% of workers here also receive a non-wage benefit nationally.
Because the Red Seal travels between provinces, the wage spread above is genuinely useful for anyone already certified and weighing a move.
Where the jobs are
Canada's own 10-year projection for this trade reads: labour demand and supply broadly in line, 2024-2033, at the national level (group level) [3] The workforce is 31% aged 50 or older, with a median retirement age of 63 [2]. replacement ~82% of openings (of which ~78% retirements) — a retirement-driven trade, not a boom (group level). Most work is in repair, personal and household services 89%; retail trade 7% — more concentrated in repair services than almost any other trade group [3].
Job Bank 3-year employment outlook by province
View as a table
| Rating | Provinces |
|---|---|
| Good | Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan |
| Moderate | Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta |
| Limited | Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec, British Columbia |
| Undetermined | Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut |
Source: Job Bank outlook report, NOC 72411, updated 2025-12-10 [2].
The path to Red Seal
Total apprenticeship hours, by jurisdiction
- 7,200 total hours in NL/NS/PE/NB/MB/SK/AB/BC/YT/NT/NU
- Ontario 8,000
- Quebec runs apprenticeship training but not on the hours-based model (Ellis lists its hours as not applicable)
Source: interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison [4].
If you've picked up the trade on the job, uncertified:
Challenge / trade-qualifier hours, by jurisdiction
- 10,800 in NL/NS/PE/NB/MB/SK/YT
- 9,675 BC
- 9,630 AB
- 9,000 NT/NU
- 8,000 ON
- no challenge route in QC
Source: interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison [4].
Money on the table: the federal Team Canada Strong package includes: $6B plan to recruit 80,000-100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over five years; $400/week Apprenticeship Training Grant during in-class technical training, worth up to $16,000 per apprentice, in addition to EI; one-time $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus. amounts are 'up to' figures; first payments expected no earlier than fall 2026; core funding starts 2026-27 [9]
- The trade was renamed from Motor Vehicle Body Repairer (Metal and Paint) to Auto Body and Collision Technician
- Ontario runs the longest apprenticeship for this trade at 8,000 hours — 800 more than the 7,200 every other hours-based jurisdiction requires [4]
The exam — and what to study most
This trade is tested with 120 questions, pass mark 70% [8], writing time four hours [5]. Study time should follow the actual weightings, not a guess — here's the official split:
Official exam weightings, highest to lowest
Sorted highest to lowest — Repairs frame and structural components (top) carries the most marks on its own (23%).
View exact numbers
| Block | Share of exam | ≈ Questions |
|---|---|---|
| B — Repairs frame and structural components | 23% | — |
| C — Repairs non-structural outer body panels and related components | 20% | — |
| F — Performs refinishing procedures | 18% | — |
| A — Performs common occupational skills | 12% | — |
| D — Repairs mechanical, electrical and alternative-fuel system components | 12% | — |
| E — Repairs interior components and services restraint systems | 10% | — |
| G — Performs detailing and cleaning | 5% | — |
Source: Red Seal exam information [5].
In plain terms: Repairs frame and structural components carries 23% of the exam on its own. Score yourself per block with a diagnostic run before you decide what to review. Try a free diagnostic on Auto Body and Collision Technician (Red Seal) →
Practice against the same standard
Question Bank Hub's auto body and collision technician (red seal) bank is written to the same Red Seal standard the exam draws from, organized by the same blocks — so your practice scores map to the weightings above. The first questions are free, full explanations included, no account needed. The full bank runs 600 questions.
Practice Auto Body and Collision Technician (Red Seal) free →
The best links
- red-seal.ca — Official Red Seal Auto Body and Collision Technician page: designation (1964), the standard, and the exam links.
- red-seal.ca — The exam's real structure from the source: 120 questions and the question-type mix.
- red-seal.ca — The official block weightings — what the exam actually asks about, and how much of it.
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Government of Canada wage data by province (2023-2024 LFS).
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Job Bank: three-year prospects by province plus the ten-year national outlook.
- occupations.esdc.gc.ca — COPS 2024-2033 (NOC 72411 group): projected openings, seekers, and what drives them.
- ellischart.ca — Ellis Chart (ESDC): apprenticeship hours and certification status in all 13 jurisdictions.
- red-seal.ca — The official exam guide: 70% pass mark, four-hour writing time, question style.
Sources
- Job Bank — Wages: Auto Body Collision (NOC 72411). Data period 2023-2024; updated 2025-11-19. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Job Bank — Outlook (NOC 72411). updated 2025-12-10. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- ESDC — Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) 2024-2033. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Ellis Chart (ESDC) — interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Red Seal — exam information. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Red Seal — exam weightings. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Official Red Seal Auto Body and Collision Technician page: designation (1964), the standard, and the exam links. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- The official exam guide: 70% pass mark, four-hour writing time, question style. Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Prime Minister's Office — Team Canada Strong announcement. updated 2026-04-29. Accessed 2026-08-10.
Take this as a dated, sourced snapshot, not advice. Wage and outlook numbers change over time — the linked government sources above always have today's figures.