How to Become an Electrician Apprentice in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's SATCC electrician path: 7,200 hours over four levels, 8 weeks of school per level, entrance rules, wages, and the Red Seal exam.
Plumbing vs Electrician vs HVAC: Which Trade Should You Choose?
Plumbing, electrician, or HVAC as a career: Job Bank wages, training hours, compulsory status, physical demands, and outlook, compared side by side.
Applies in: across Canada
The short answer
Choose the work, because the money will not choose for you. The three national medians sit within $3.50 an hour of each other. Training in Ontario takes 9,000 hours in each trade. All three are compulsory in Ontario, all three end at a Red Seal exam, and employers in all three are short of people. What actually differs is your Tuesday: what you lift, where you stand, what breaks, and who calls you when it does.
This page compares the three trades as careers, for someone who will work in the trade as an apprentice and then a journeyperson. It is not the business-owner comparison. If you already hold a ticket and want to know which shop to open, read our business-side comparison of plumbing, electrical, and HVAC instead. The two questions share three trade names and almost nothing else.
The numbers side by side
| Plumbing | Electrician | HVAC (Refrigeration and A/C) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Bank national median | $34.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $37.50/hr |
| Job Bank national range | $21.00-$46.00 | $20.00-$48.00 | $22.00-$56.00 |
| Ontario program | 306A, 9,000 hours | 309A, 9,000 hours | 313A, 9,000 hours |
| Ontario classroom split | 720 hours in school | 840 hours in school | 720 hours in school |
| Compulsory in Ontario | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Common second ticket | Gas fitter, in most provinces | Master Electrician, to run a contracting business | Gas technician G2 plus Ozone Depletion Prevention card |
| Work centres on | Water, drainage, fixtures | Wiring, panels, code work | Heating, cooling, refrigeration machines |
The wage rows are Job Bank figures for Canada, reference period 2023 to 2024. The Ontario rows come from the Skilled Trades Ontario programs behind our apprentice guides. Read the table as a tie with texture. HVAC leads on median and on the top of the range. Electrician sits in the middle. Plumber trails by a dollar, then posts the widest provincial spread, with Ontario's top rate at $50.38 an hour in the same Job Bank data our Ontario plumber guide uses.
Sector beats trade as a pay predictor. Industrial, commercial, and union work pays more than residential service in all three. So does the north, and so does overtime-heavy service work in peak season. A journeyperson who wants the top of any of these ranges gets there by choosing a sector and an employer, not by re-running this comparison.
Plumbing: the trade every building already needs
A plumber lays out, assembles, installs, and repairs the piping, fixtures, and drainage systems buildings run on. The demand case is plain. Every house, shop, school, and plant has water arriving and waste leaving, and both sides fail in ways that cannot wait until Monday. Service plumbers live on that urgency. Construction plumbers live on new builds and renovations.
The Ontario route is the 306A apprenticeship: 8,280 on-the-job hours plus 720 in-school hours across three levels, about five years with a sponsoring employer, then the certifying exam at 70 percent for the Certificate of Qualification with its Red Seal endorsement. Job Bank puts Ontario plumbers at $20.00 to $50.38 an hour with a $32.50 median. Our full route is in the Ontario plumber apprentice guide, with the Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec routes in their own guides for comparison.
The honest costs of the trade are physical and social. The work is heavy, wet, and often in crawl spaces, trenches, and ceilings. Drains are part of the job, not an edge case. Emergency calls land at night and on weekends because water does not schedule its failures. People who thrive here like solving a visible problem with their hands and leaving a room working again. People who hate being on call should weigh that before the wage row.
Electrician: code, systems, and the cleanest rulebook
An electrician installs and maintains the wiring, panels, and systems that power a building. The work runs from residential service changes to commercial fit-outs and industrial plants, and it is governed by a detailed electrical code that rewards precision. Of the three trades, this one asks the most of your math and your patience with rules, and the least of your back on material handling, though conduit, ladders, and overhead work still add up over a career.
Ontario's main route is Electrician — Construction and Maintenance, 309A: 9,000 hours split as 8,160 on the job and 840 in school, the heaviest classroom load of the three. The finish is unusual and convenient. In Ontario the Red Seal exam is the Certificate of Qualification exam, so one sitting of 100 questions in four hours, 70 percent to pass, earns both credentials. Job Bank puts the Ontario median for construction and maintenance electricians at $34.00 an hour, with experienced workers reaching about $50.50. See the Ontario electrician apprentice guide for the sponsor search, the school blocks, and the union route.
Outlook is steady rather than spectacular. Job Bank rates Ontario electricians as moderate for 2025 to 2027, on growth from large infrastructure work and new housing in the big urban centres, in an occupation of about 44,100 people in the province. The growth edges worth knowing about are the ones arriving inside the trade: heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, solar, and building controls all land on an electrician's ticket first. If you want the trade most likely to absorb new technology as paid work, this is a strong claim.
HVAC: the diagnostic trade, with a second ticket attached
Refrigeration and air conditioning systems mechanics install, service, and repair the machines that heat, cool, and refrigerate. In Ontario the full trade is 313A: 9,000 hours, 8,280 on the job and 720 in school, three levels, compulsory, Red Seal at the end. The restricted sibling, 313D, covers residential air conditioning only at about 4,500 hours. Most people aiming at a career should register in 313A and keep the whole field open. The Ontario HVAC apprentice guide walks the full route.
The pay case is the best of the three on paper. The national median of $37.50 an hour comes with the widest range, up to $56.00, and recent Ontario postings for certified mechanics run about $33 to $46 an hour, with apprentice minimums set by regulation at 40, 50, 60, 70, then 80 percent of the journeyperson rate at the employer across the five periods. Demand signals are strong. Federal projections describe a strong risk of labour shortage for this occupation nationally over 2024 to 2033, and outlook summaries describe good or very good prospects in most provinces.
Now the attached costs, stated up front. First, the second ticket. Gas work is licensed apart from the trade certificate, and most HVAC employers expect a G2 gas technician certificate beside the 313A, plus the Ozone Depletion Prevention card for refrigerant handling. Second, the seasons. Furnaces fail in the first cold snap and air conditioners fail in the first heat wave, so the busiest weeks of the year arrive with the worst weather. Third, the rooftops. Commercial work means units on roofs in August and January alike. In exchange you get the most diagnostic job of the three. A good mechanic spends the day reasoning about pressures, temperatures, airflow, and controls, and that reasoning is what the top of the wage range pays for.
The decision that actually decides it
Applicants tend to compare wages, hours, and outlook, then pick a trade and go looking for a sponsor. Reverse the last step. In every one of these trades, your hours only count under a sponsoring employer and a registered training agreement, so the trade you can start is the trade with an employer near you willing to register an apprentice. Apply in parallel. Talk to plumbing shops, electrical contractors, and mechanical firms in the same month. An offer in your second-choice trade, starting this spring, beats a first-choice trade you cannot enter until next year, because a year of registered hours is worth more than a dollar an hour of median wage.
Then test your picture of the work against the work itself. A pre-apprenticeship college course, a season as a helper, or a week of job shadowing will tell you whether you mind crawl spaces, conduit, or rooftops. That test costs a few months at most. Skipping it can cost a restarted apprenticeship, since hours and exams do not transfer between trades.
One last filter, and it is the one journeypersons mention most. Ask which problems you want to be handed. A flooded basement at midnight. A dead panel in a plant that is losing money by the hour. A walk-in freezer full of food warming up on a Saturday. Each trade has a version of that call, and each version suits a different temperament. Pick the emergency you would rather walk into. You will be walking into it, on and off, for the length of a career, and the medians say you will be paid about the same for any of them.
Related guides
- Plumbing vs electrician vs HVAC business in Canada — the owner-side comparison this page deliberately is not: startup costs, permits, and running the company.
- How to become a plumber apprentice in Ontario — the full 306A route: sponsor, 9,000 hours, school levels, wages, and the exam.
- How to become an electrician apprentice in Ontario — the 309A route, including the combined Red Seal and Certificate of Qualification exam.
- How to become an HVAC apprentice in Ontario — the 313A route, the 313D shortcut and its limits, and the gas and refrigerant tickets that pair with it.
- Compulsory vs voluntary trades in Ontario — what compulsory status means for your right to work, trade by trade.
- Apprenticeship financial support in Canada — the money during training: Canada Apprentice Loan, Employment Insurance in school blocks, and what replaced the closed grants.
- How to get your Red Seal endorsement in Canada — the shared finish line for all three trades and the national mobility it buys.
What each trade pays in Canada (Job Bank)
- Plumber, national median (NOC 72300)$34.00/hr ($21.00-$46.00 range)
- Electrician, national median (NOC 72200)$35.00/hr ($20.00-$48.00 range)
- Heating, refrigeration and A/C mechanic, national median (NOC 72402)$37.50/hr ($22.00-$56.00 range)
How to choose, in four steps
- Picture the workday in each tradeWater and drains, wiring and panels, or machines that heat and cool — the daily work differs more than the pay
- Check your province's hours and compulsory statusOntario runs 9,000 hours for all three trades; Alberta and British Columbia run shorter programs
- Test the local apprentice marketYou need a sponsoring employer to start the clock, so the trade hiring apprentices near you has a real head start
- Plan the add-on ticketsGas technician and refrigerant handling pair with HVAC and plumbing; price them into the route before you register
Questions people ask
Should I choose plumbing or electrician as a career?
Pick by the workday, not the wage table, because the pay is close. Job Bank puts the national median at $34.00 an hour for plumbers and $35.00 an hour for electricians (except industrial and power system). In Ontario both apprenticeships run 9,000 hours and both trades are compulsory, so the timeline is the same. Plumbing days centre on water, drainage, and fixtures, much of it in finished homes on service calls. Electrician days centre on wiring, panels, and code work, more of it on construction sites. Spend a day picturing each job honestly. That picture predicts your next ten years better than a dollar an hour does.
Should I choose HVAC or plumbing?
Compare the median and the work mix. Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics post the highest national median of the three at $37.50 an hour, and the trade pairs naturally with a gas technician licence for furnace work. Plumbing offers the broadest service market, since every building has water coming in and drains going out. HVAC work is seasonal at the edges, with heating breakdowns in winter and cooling failures in summer driving urgent calls. If you like diagnosing machines that heat, cool, and move air, choose HVAC. If you want the trade every building needs in every month, plumbing has the edge.
Which trade pays the most, plumbing, electrician, or HVAC?
On Job Bank national figures for 2023 to 2024, heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics lead with a $22.00 to $56.00 range and a $37.50 median. Electricians (except industrial and power system) run $20.00 to $48.00 with a $35.00 median. Plumbers run $21.00 to $46.00 with a $34.00 median. Province and sector move those numbers a lot. Ontario plumbers reach $50.38 at the top of the Job Bank range, and industrial and union work sits above residential service in all three trades. Treat the ranking as tight, not decisive.
Which trade is quickest to qualify in?
In Ontario, none of the three is quick. Plumber (306A), Electrician Construction and Maintenance (309A), and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic (313A) each run 9,000 hours, roughly five years of paid work plus classroom blocks. Hours differ sharply by province. Alberta electrician takes 6,120 on-the-job hours over four periods and Alberta plumbing 6,240 hours, while British Columbia plumbing sits near 6,300 hours. The one genuine shortcut in this comparison is Ontario's 313D residential air conditioning route at about 4,500 hours, and it limits you to residential work. Your province sets your timeline more than your trade does.
Are plumbing, electrician, and HVAC compulsory trades?
In Ontario, yes, all three. You must hold a Certificate of Qualification, a Provisional Certificate, or a registered apprenticeship to do the work. Nationally the picture varies by province. The business comparison on this site records plumbing as compulsory in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, and refrigeration and air conditioning as compulsory in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Compulsory status is good news for a career changer in one way: the credential is enforced, so certified workers are not undercut by uncertified ones on the same work.
What is the physical work like in each trade?
Plumbing is heavy and awkward: cast iron and large pipe, trenches and crawl spaces, overhead work, and emergency calls with water on the floor. Electrical work is lighter on materials but hard on knees, ladders, and shoulders, with long conduit runs and panel work that punishes carelessness around live systems. Refrigeration and air conditioning work mixes rooftop units in summer heat and winter cold, refrigerant and brazing work, and a diagnostic load that is as mental as it is physical. All three reward fitness. None of them is a desk job with fresh air. Choose the strain you mind least.
What is the job outlook for plumbers, electricians, and HVAC mechanics?
Job Bank rates the Ontario outlook for electricians (NOC 72200) as moderate for 2025 to 2027, with growth driven by infrastructure spending and new housing in large urban centres, and about 44,100 people working in the occupation in Ontario. For refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, recent Job Bank outlook summaries describe good or very good prospects in most provinces, and federal projections point to a strong risk of labour shortage nationally over 2024 to 2033. Plumbing demand tracks housing and renovation work, and Job Bank rates Ontario plumber prospects as moderate. None of the three is a shrinking trade. The safer bet is the one with employers hiring apprentices near you right now.
Do I need a second licence in any of these trades?
HVAC is the trade where a second ticket is close to expected. Most Ontario refrigeration mechanics also hold a Technical Standards and Safety Authority gas technician certificate, G2 for equipment up to 400,000 BTUH, plus an Ozone Depletion Prevention card to handle refrigerants. Plumbers hit the same wall from the other side, since gas fitting is regulated apart from plumbing in most of Canada. Electricians who want to run their own contracting business later need a master electrician on the business, which is a business step, not a condition of working as a journeyperson. Budget the add-on tickets into your plan for HVAC from the start.
Can I switch trades later if I choose wrong?
Yes, but you pay for the switch in time. Each trade keeps its own apprenticeship hours and its own certifying exam, so a certified plumber who moves to electrical work starts a second apprenticeship, even if an employer credits some experience. The Red Seal pattern is the same in all three trades, and skills do transfer: pipe work helps with refrigeration piping, and electrical fundamentals sit inside modern HVAC controls. The cheap time to decide is before you register. Job shadow, take a pre-apprenticeship course, or work as a helper for a season. One season of real exposure costs less than one restarted apprenticeship.
Is this the same as deciding which trade business to start?
No, and the answers can differ. This page is about choosing a trade to work in as an employee and apprentice: wages, hours, demands, and outlook. Owning the business adds vans, insurance, startup costs, permits, and customers. Our business comparison covers that side, including why a plumbing startup with published costs runs about $22,900 to $37,200 before the first job. Most owners spend years as journeypersons first. Choose the trade you want to practise. The business decision comes later, with better information.
Sources
- Government of Canada Job Bank, wages by occupation, reference period 2023-2024 (plumbers NOC 72300 — $21.00 low, $34.00 median, $46.00 high; electricians except industrial and power system NOC 72200: $20.00 low, $35.00 median, $48.00 high; heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics NOC 72402: $22.00 low, $37.50 median, $56.00 high), as compiled from Job Bank data —
- Job Bank, electrician outlook for Ontario, 2025-2027 (moderate outlook; about 44,100 people in the occupation; growth from infrastructure and new housing)
- Job Bank and federal outlook summaries for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (good or very good prospects in most provinces; strong risk of labour shortage nationally over 2024-2033) and for plumbers in Ontario (moderate prospects), summarized with the underlying Job Bank figures
- Our verified apprentice guides, for the Ontario program facts in the table: plumber apprentice in Ontario (306A, 9,000 hours, Ontario wages $20.00-$50.38, median $32.50), electrician apprentice in Ontario (309A, 9,000 hours as 8,160 plus 840, Ontario median $34.00, Red Seal exam as the certifying exam), and HVAC apprentice in Ontario (313A, 9,000 hours as 8,280 plus 720, 313D at about 4,500 hours, apprentice wage percentages under Ontario Regulation 75/05, certified postings about $33-$46)
- Our verified business comparison, for the compulsory-province lists and the Alberta and British Columbia hours cited here: plumbing vs electrician vs HVAC business in Canada
Wages and outlooks are republished on Job Bank's cycle and program hours change by province — confirm the current figures for your province before you register.