Wages
Insulator Pay in Canada in 2026: Wages by Province and Region
Updated November 1, 2026
In Canada, the median wage for Insulators (NOC 72321) is $37.61 an hour (Job Bank, data from 2023 to 2024, published November 19, 2025). Pay depends on the province and the region. The tables below give the low, median and high wage for each province, territory and region with a Job Bank figure.
What do insulators earn in Canada?
The first table gives Job Bank's wages for insulators across Canada. Half of the workers in a group earn more than the median, and half earn less. The province and region tables follow.
Sources6
Insulator wages across Canada
Insulator wages in every province and territory
Insulators (NOC 72321) · Hourly · Data from 2023 to 2024 · Dated November 19, 2025
| Place | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.00[6] | $40.36[6] | $51.00[6] |
| Prince Edward Island | No published figure | No published figure | No published figure |
| Nova Scotia | $20.00[6] | $36.24[6] | $46.27[6] |
| New Brunswick | $20.00[6] | $30.65[6] | $40.88[6] |
| Quebec | $26.33[6] | $43.00[6] | $46.92[6] |
| Ontario | $22.00[6] | $35.00[6] | $48.88[6] |
| Manitoba | $20.00[6] | $30.00[6] | $36.42[6] |
| Saskatchewan | $21.75[6] | $39.19[6] | $47.06[6] |
| Alberta | $24.00[6] | $40.00[6] | $50.00[6] |
| British Columbia | $23.82[6] | $32.50[6] | $45.99[6] |
| Yukon | No published figure | No published figure | No published figure |
| Northwest Territories | No published figure | No published figure | No published figure |
| Nunavut | No published figure | No published figure | No published figure |
Which provinces pay insulators the most?
In the province and territory table, Quebec has the highest median, and Manitoba has the lowest. The table also gives the high wage for each province and territory with a figure, beside the median.
Sources6
Pay in cities and regions
The table below lists every region with a Job Bank figure. It groups the regions by province, in the same order as the province table, and lists them by name. Find the region where the job is before you compare an offer.
Insulator wages by region
Insulators (NOC 72321) · Hourly · Data from 2023 to 2024 · Dated November 19, 2025
| Place | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.00[6] | $39.71[6] | $48.50[6] |
| Saint John–St. Stephen, New Brunswick | $23.90[6] | $35.00[6] | $40.86[6] |
| Capitale-Nationale, Quebec | $26.33[6] | $43.01[6] | $47.00[6] |
| Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec | $26.33[6] | $43.89[6] | $47.07[6] |
| Lanaudière, Quebec | $26.33[6] | $43.00[6] | $46.85[6] |
| Laurentides, Quebec | $26.33[6] | $43.00[6] | $44.79[6] |
| Montérégie, Quebec | $26.00[6] | $43.00[6] | $47.00[6] |
| Montréal, Quebec | $26.00[6] | $31.17[6] | $44.79[6] |
| Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula, Ontario | $22.97[6] | $40.00[6] | $50.00[6] |
| Kingston–Pembroke, Ontario | $18.00[6] | $27.26[6] | $47.45[6] |
| Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie, Ontario | $22.00[6] | $30.00[6] | $48.65[6] |
| London, Ontario | $24.00[6] | $37.88[6] | $50.24[6] |
| Ottawa, Ontario | $22.00[6] | $32.20[6] | $47.06[6] |
| Toronto, Ontario | $20.00[6] | $33.96[6] | $48.65[6] |
| Windsor–Sarnia, Ontario | $23.00[6] | $46.00[6] | $50.25[6] |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | $20.05[6] | $28.00[6] | $35.25[6] |
| Saskatoon–Biggar, Saskatchewan | $21.75[6] | $39.19[6] | $47.06[6] |
| Athabasca–Grande Prairie–Peace River, Alberta | $24.00[6] | $38.36[6] | $50.40[6] |
| Calgary, Alberta | $23.00[6] | $35.20[6] | $50.00[6] |
| Camrose–Drumheller, Alberta | $27.73[6] | $41.97[6] | $48.55[6] |
| Edmonton, Alberta | $25.00[6] | $40.00[6] | $50.00[6] |
| Red Deer, Alberta | $23.00[6] | $40.34[6] | $49.25[6] |
| Wood Buffalo–Cold Lake, Alberta | $22.00[6] | $33.00[6] | $51.00[6] |
| Lower Mainland, British Columbia | $23.00[6] | $32.00[6] | $44.34[6] |
| Thompson–Okanagan, British Columbia | $22.50[6] | $30.72[6] | $43.39[6] |
| Vancouver Island and Coast, British Columbia | $25.00[6] | $36.72[6] | $49.04[6] |
Fair-wage and minimum rates compared with the median
Some public contracts, and one provincial law, set a rate for each trade. The rate list below gives the insulator rates from two of them. They are Manitoba's industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) minimum wage schedule and Burnaby's fair wage schedule. Burnaby's schedule follows the standard union agreement rates in British Columbia. To compare a rate with the Job Bank median, find the Winnipeg or Lower Mainland row in the region table. Keep two points in mind. The schedule rates are journeyperson rates, and the Job Bank median covers everyone in the occupation group. The schedule rates are for 2026 and 2027, and the medians cover earlier years.
Published fair-wage and minimum rates for journeyperson insulators
- Manitoba's ICI minimum wage schedule lists $35.65 an hour for a journeyperson insulator (heat and frost) from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. From May 1, 2027, it lists $36.36.[1]
- In Manitoba's ICI construction sector, standard hours are 10 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Hours past these limits are paid at the overtime rate.[1]
- Burnaby's fair wage schedule lists $42.69 an hour plus $12.25 in remuneration, a total of $54.94, for the classification Insulator. These journeyman rates follow the CLRA summary of standard union agreement rates for June 2026.[2]
How much do apprentice insulators earn?
Some provinces set apprentice pay as a share of the journeyperson wage. The share depends on your hours. The list below gives the schedules for New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.
Apprentice wage schedules by province
- Saskatchewan's 2020 table, an unofficial consolidation, lists at least 40%, 47%, 54%, 61%, 68%, 75%, 82% and 90% of a new journeyperson's hourly rate for insulator (heat and frost) apprentices. Each share covers 800 hours, for 6,400 hours in all.[5]
Before you move for insulation work
Check these points before you accept a job in another city or province.
- Compare the regional median, not only the provincial one. The region table lists each region under its province.
- Ask whether the job is on a public contract with a fair wage schedule, such as a City of Burnaby contract. The rate list above gives Burnaby's rate.
- Ask how overtime is paid. The rate list above gives the overtime rule for Manitoba ICI work.
- Ask whether a quoted rate is base pay or a total package. Burnaby's schedule, for example, adds remuneration on top of the wage.
- If you are an apprentice, check the wage schedule in the new province. The apprentice list above gives the New Brunswick and Saskatchewan schedules.
How to read these figures
Job Bank gives a low, a median and a high hourly wage for each place. The note under each table shows the period that the figures cover. The high wage is not a maximum. A cell that says No published figure has no Job Bank figure in this release.
Questions and answers
How much does an insulator make in Ontario?
Ontario's low, median and high wages are in the province and territory table. For Toronto, Ottawa or another Ontario city, find its region under Ontario in the region table.
How much does an insulator make in Alberta?
Alberta's wages are in the province and territory table. For Calgary, Edmonton or another Alberta city, find its region under Alberta in the region table.
How much does an insulator make in British Columbia?
British Columbia's wages are in the province and territory table. For Vancouver, use the Lower Mainland row in the region table.
How do I estimate my pay as an apprentice?
If you work in New Brunswick or Saskatchewan, find your schedule in the apprentice list. Multiply the share for your hours by the journeyperson wage where you work. The result is the minimum.
Do union insulators earn more?
Burnaby's fair wage schedule follows standard union agreement rates in British Columbia. Compare its rate in the rate list with the Lower Mainland row in the region table.
How is insulator overtime paid?
For Manitoba ICI work, the rate list gives the overtime rule. For other jobs, ask the employer how it pays overtime before you accept.
Sources
- Manitoba ICI Construction Sector Minimum Wage Schedules
Government of Manitoba, Employment Standards. Retrieved October 30, 2026
- Schedule A to the Fair Wage Schedule, Compensation Schedule (revised 2026 Aug 14)
City of Burnaby. Retrieved October 30, 2026
- Wage Regulation - Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act, N.B. Reg. 2014-134
Province of New Brunswick (Acts and Regulations). Retrieved October 30, 2026
- Skilled Trades NB fact sheet: designated occupations under the Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act
Government of New Brunswick, Skilled Trades NB. Retrieved October 30, 2026
- SATCC wage rates table for apprentices (2020)
Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC). Retrieved October 30, 2026
- Job Bank open wage data (Wages dataset), 2025-11-19
Employment and Social Development Canada. Retrieved October 31, 2026