How to Become an Electrician in Ontario
Wire, power and light homes and buildings — and find out why something isn’t working.
To become an electrician in Ontario, find an employer to sponsor you and register your Electrician – Construction and Maintenance (309A) apprenticeship with Skilled Trades Ontario. You need Grade 10 to start. The apprenticeship is 9,000 hours — about 5 years — mostly paid work on the job, with in-school levels. It is a compulsory trade, so you must be registered or certified to do the work, and a Red Seal trade. Job Bank puts the median wage in Ontario at $34.00 an hour (2023–2024).
Facts checked against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page. Rules and fees change — confirm with the organization before you rely on them.
What the work involves
- Plans installations from blueprints, sketches and specifications.
- Lays out, installs, connects, tests and repairs electrical systems — lighting, power, heating, communication, control, security and renewable-energy systems.
- Measures, cuts, bends and installs conduit and other raceways, then splices and terminates conductors.
- Diagnoses faults in electrical and electronic components.
Summarized from Skilled Trades Ontario’s description of the trade(opens in a new tab).
A day as an apprentice
- Start at the shop or straight on site: check the plan for the day with your journeyperson.
- Pull wire, mount boxes and panels, bend conduit — careful, measured work, often on a ladder.
- Test what you installed and track down anything that does not work as it should.
- Log the skills you practised in your training standard so your sponsor can sign them off.
A typical picture — every employer and every job site is different.
The facts: Electrician – Construction and Maintenance (309A)
Each line links to the official page it came from.
| Trade name and code | Electrician – Construction and Maintenance (309A) source (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Compulsory or voluntary | Compulsory — you must be registered or certified to do the work source (opens in a new tab) |
| Apprenticeship hours | 9,000 hours (about 5 years): 8,160 on the job + 840 in school source (opens in a new tab)Trade page figure, based on the 2003 three-level curriculum. |
| Hours under the new curriculum | 7,950 on the job + 1,050 in school, over 4 levels source (opens in a new tab)From the 2025 trade report, matching the new four-level 2024 curriculum. The total is 9,000 hours either way. |
| In-school levels | 3 source (opens in a new tab)Under the 2003 curriculum, which is being replaced. |
| Curriculum change | A new four-level 2024 curriculum is being phased in: Level 1 from September 1, 2024, Level 2 from September 1, 2025, and Levels 3 and 4 from September 1, 2026. source (opens in a new tab) |
| Red Seal | Yes — Red Seal title: Construction Electrician source (opens in a new tab) |
| Certificate of Qualification exam | |
| Minimum schooling to start | Grade 10 source (opens in a new tab) |
| Certificates of Qualification issued in 2025 | |
| Wages in Ontario (Job Bank) | Median $34.00/hour · low $20.00 · high $50.50 source (opens in a new tab)Job Bank “Electrician”, NOC 72200 (Electricians (except industrial and power system)). Reference period 2023–2024; source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada; updated 2025-11-19. |
| Job outlook in Ontario (Job Bank) | Moderate (2025–2027) source (opens in a new tab)Job Bank’s 3-year outlook; updated 2025-12-10. |
| Apprentice pay | No legal pay scale — see what apprentices earn Ontario law sets no apprentice pay scale — the old government percentage schedules ended in 2013. Apprentices must be paid at least the general minimum wage ($17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026; any yearly change takes effect October 1). Above that, the employer sets the rate — or, for union members, the collective agreement. |
What apprentices earn in Ontario
The law first, then what people in the trade earn where you live, then what one real agreement pays.
The rule
Ontario law sets no apprentice pay scale. The floor is the general minimum wage — $17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026 — and it applies to apprentices like anyone else. Above that, your employer sets your pay, or, if you are a union member, the collective agreement does.
- The old government schedules that set apprentice pay as a percentage of a journeyperson’s rate ended in 2013 (revoked April 8, 2013 by O. Reg. 426/12). The current law, the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, has no apprentice pay provision. e-Laws(opens in a new tab)
- The minimum wage was $17.60 before October 1, 2026. Any yearly change is published by April 1 and takes effect October 1. Ontario’s minimum wage page(opens in a new tab)
- The lower $16.90 student rate applies only to students under 18 working 28 hours a week or less while school is in session, or during school breaks — not to an adult apprentice. Ontario’s minimum-wage rules have no apprentice exemption.
- Ask what you will be paid — and how it goes up as you progress — before you sign your training agreement.
What electricians earn, by region
Hourly wages from Job Bank (Government of Canada) for “Electrician” (NOC 72200), updated November 19, 2025. Job Bank publishes one set of figures for the whole occupation, apprentices included — so the low end is not an apprentice rate, and the median is not a pure journeyperson rate. Regions use different survey data; each row says which.
| Region | Low | Median | High | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $20.00 | $34.00 | $50.50 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula | $20.00 | $32.00 | $50.00 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Kingston–Pembroke | Not published | Job Bank: not published for this region (data limitations) | ||
| Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie | $20.00 | $36.00 | $52.00 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| London | $18.50 | $29.75 | $49.37 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Muskoka–Kawarthas | $22.00 | $34.80 | $46.75 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Northeast | $19.00 | $31.00 | $52.00 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Northwest | $23.10 | $36.82 | $55.21 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Ottawa | $24.22 | $38.45 | $50.22 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Stratford–Bruce Peninsula | $20.00 | $32.50 | $44.50 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
| Toronto | $20.62 | $34.86 | $51.40 | 2024 · Small Area Estimation |
| Windsor-Sarnia | $20.00 | $35.00 | $54.70 | 2023–2024 · Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada |
Source: Job Bank — Electrician wages in Ontario (opens in a new tab). The minimum wage ($17.95 since October 1, 2026) is the same everywhere in Ontario.
The minimum wage is 52.8% of this median (calculated: $17.95 divided by the median). Hourly, before deductions. Both figures are in the table.
A real example: union apprentice pay
Ontario’s IBEW electrical agreement pays apprentices a percentage of the journeyperson base rate: 40% in the 1st period, 50% in the 2nd period, 60% in the 3rd period, 70% in the 4th period, 80% in the 5th period. Each local’s schedule prints the dollar rates; these are the rates from May 1, 2026, exactly as printed.
| Local | 1st period40% | 2nd period50% | 3rd period60% | 4th period70% | 5th period80% | Journeyperson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local 353Greater Toronto | $22.36 | $27.97 | $33.59 | $39.22 | $44.84 | $56.08 |
| Local 586Ottawa | $22.16 | $27.71 | $33.24 | $38.79 | $44.33 | $55.42 |
| Local 105Hamilton | $21.37 | $26.71 | $32.05 | $37.39 | $42.74 | $53.42 |
| Local 120London | $22.34 | $27.93 | $33.52 | $39.10 | $44.69 | $55.86 |
| Local 773Windsor | $19.15 | $23.94 | $28.72 | $33.51 | $38.30 | $47.87 |
| Local 1687Northern Ontario (Sudbury) | $22.01 | $27.51 | $33.01 | $38.51 | $44.02 | $55.02 |
- Hourly base rates only. Vacation and statutory holiday pay, RRSP and union funds are paid on top.
- Local 353 also prints a pre-apprentice rate (not yet registered) of $19.67 an hour.
- The agreement also prints the rates from May 1, 2025 and May 1, 2027.
These rates bind only employers who signed this agreement — union contractors on industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction. They are not typical pay for non-union or residential jobs.
Agreement: Principal Agreement between The Electrical Trade Bargaining Agency of the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario (Provincial ICI; Locals 105, 115, 120, 303, 353, 402, 530, 586, 773, 804, 1687), in effect May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2028. Read the agreement (PDF)(opens in a new tab) · Ontario’s Collective Agreements e-Library(opens in a new tab)
How to start
- Find a sponsor. An employer (or union, or group) agrees to train you. This is the step that starts everything.
- Register as an apprentice. Sign a Training Agreement with your sponsor and register it with Skilled Trades Ontario.
- Do the training. Log your on-the-job hours and complete each in-school level.
- Get certified. Write the Certificate of Qualification exam; in a Red Seal trade you can earn the Red Seal too.
The exam costs $150 + HST; the first attempt is free when you complete an Ontario apprenticeship.
Where to train
Colleges and training providers (4)
In-school training is delivered by colleges and other approved training providers. A few with a 309A program:
- Mohawk College — Electrician (Construction & Maintenance) 309A(opens in a new tab)
- Algonquin College (Pembroke) — Electrician 309A, Level 1(opens in a new tab)
- Search all college programs on ontariocolleges.ca(opens in a new tab)
College programs that can count toward Level 1
These are college programs, not apprenticeships. The college says graduates can get credit for Level 1 in-school training — check the details with the college before you enrol.
Running your own business later
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) licenses electrical contractors — see ESA’s page for what you need to run your own business.
Trade associations
Looking for a sponsor?
Contractors who may hire apprentices
Apprentices are sponsored by employers in the trade. Browse local electricians by city on ProScore and contact them directly — not every business sponsors apprentices, so ask.
Electricians on ProScoreUpcoming events to meet the trade
Career fairs and industry events in Ontario where you can meet people in the trade. Dates checked against each organizer.
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – Windsor Nov 11–12, 2026 LaSalle (Windsor)
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – London Nov 17–19, 2026 London
- Career fairLevel Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair – Ottawa Nov 24–26, 2026 Ottawa
- ExpoCanada Light Expo Nov 18–19, 2026 Mississauga
- ExpoEV & Charging Expo May 5–6, 2027 Toronto
- AwardsECAO AGM & Safety Awards Jun 17, 2027 Toronto (Etobicoke)
Frequently asked questions
How do I become an electrician in Ontario?
Find a sponsor (usually an employer) and register an apprenticeship in Electrician – Construction and Maintenance (309A) with Skilled Trades Ontario. The entry requirement is Grade 10. You then log on-the-job hours, complete the in-school levels, and write the Certificate of Qualification exam.
How long does it take to become an electrician in Ontario?
Skilled Trades Ontario sets the Electrician – Construction and Maintenance (309A) apprenticeship at 9,000 hours, about 5 years. Its trade page splits that into 8,160 hours on the job and 840 hours in school over 3 levels; its 2025 trade report, matching the new curriculum being phased in, gives 7,950 on the job and 1,050 in school over 4 levels.
Do you need a certificate to work as an electrician in Ontario?
Yes. Electrician – Construction and Maintenance is a compulsory trade: to do the work legally you must be a registered apprentice or hold a Provisional or full Certificate of Qualification, and appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register.
How much do electricians make in Ontario?
Job Bank puts the median wage for electricians in Ontario (NOC 72200) at $34.00 an hour, with a low of $20.00 and a high of $50.50 (2023–2024). Job Bank publishes one figure for the whole occupation, apprentices included, so it is not an apprentice rate.
How much do apprentice electricians earn in Ontario?
Ontario law sets no apprentice pay scale — the old government percentage schedules ended in 2013. Apprentices must be paid at least the general minimum wage ($17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026; any yearly change takes effect October 1). Above that, the employer sets the rate — or, for union members, the collective agreement. For example, the 2025–2028 IBEW industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) agreement pays apprentices 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% of the journeyperson base rate over its 5 periods. These rates bind only employers who signed that agreement; they are not typical pay for non-union jobs.
Is Electrician – Construction and Maintenance a Red Seal trade?
Yes — its Red Seal title is Construction Electrician. Passing the Red Seal exam adds a Red Seal endorsement to your provincial certificate.
Compare other trades
Each page covers the work, the apprenticeship, the pay, where to train and what to do first.
- ElectricianWire, power and light homes and buildings — and find out why something isn’t working.309ACompulsoryabout 5 yearsRed Seal
- PlumberBring clean water in and take waste water away — in homes, businesses and industry.306ACompulsoryabout 5 yearsRed Seal
- HVAC TechnicianKeep homes and buildings cool, warm and comfortable — refrigeration, air conditioning and heating.313ACompulsoryabout 5 yearsRed Seal
- CarpenterBuild the frame of a house, the forms for a foundation, the stairs and the finishing touches.403AVoluntaryabout 4 yearsRed Seal
- RooferInstall and repair the roofs that keep everything else dry — flat, sloped, shingle and membrane.449AVoluntaryabout 2 yearsRed Seal
- Horticultural TechnicianGrow plants, build landscapes and care for lawns, gardens, golf courses and irrigation.441CVoluntaryabout 3 yearsRed Seal
Facts checked
Every number on this page comes from one of these official pages, read on that date. Where two official sources disagree, we show both. Where nothing official is published, we say so instead of estimating. ProScore is not affiliated with these organizations.
The 17 official sources
- Skilled Trades Ontario — 2025 trade report, 309A(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Electrician – Construction and Maintenance (309A)(opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — Electrician wages in Ontario(opens in a new tab)
- Job Bank — Electrician job outlook in Ontario(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Starting your apprenticeship(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Finishing an apprenticeship(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Exam scheduling(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Certificate of Qualification(opens in a new tab)
- Red Seal Program — About the program(opens in a new tab)
- Electrical Safety Authority — Get your Master Electrician licence(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Minimum wage(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 285/01, Exemptions, special rules and establishment of minimum wage(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario e-Laws — Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 426/12, Revoking various regulations(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Sponsor an apprentice(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Collective Agreements e-Library(opens in a new tab)
- Collective Agreements e-Library — IBEW / Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario ICI principal agreement, 2025–2028(opens in a new tab)