Power engineer salary in Canada
Power engineering is a well-paid skilled trade, and pay rises sharply with your class of certification and the kind of plant you run. Here's the shape of it — and where to get the exact, current numbers for your province.
The pattern: pay climbs with class
The single biggest lever on a power engineer's income is the class of ticket they hold. Higher classes certify you to operate larger, higher-pressure plants — and those roles pay more. As a rough, indicative picture (always verify against current data — see below):
| Class | Typical plants | Relative pay |
|---|---|---|
| 5th Class | Building, arena & pool plants; small heating systems | Entry-level |
| 4th Class | Larger commercial/institutional plants | Solid step up |
| 3rd / 2nd Class | Industrial plants, refineries, power generation | Significantly higher |
| 1st Class | Largest/highest-pressure plants; chief engineer roles | Top of the trade |
Industry matters too: oil & gas, power generation, and heavy industry typically pay more than commercial buildings, and shift/remote work adds premiums.
What power engineers earn, by province
Here are the current published hourly wages for power engineers and power systems operators (NOC 92100) in the provinces SteamTicket covers, ordered by median pay. These are the official figures — not estimates — so you can compare provinces at a glance and open the live source for yours.
| Province | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $31.00 | $57.69 | $73.00 |
| Ontario | $33.37 | $57.00 | $87.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.00 | $45.90 | $67.31 |
| New Brunswick | $25.85 | $43.27 | $58.15 |
| British Columbia | $35.00 | $41.00 | $66.87 |
| Saskatchewan | $25.87 | $40.00 | $69.71 |
| Manitoba | $29.00 | $39.50 | $50.48 |
| Nova Scotia | $25.37 | $35.00 | $50.00 |
| Canada (all provinces) | $30.00 | $49.23 | $75.55 |
Hourly wages in CAD for power engineers and power systems operators (NOC 92100), from the Government of Canada Job Bank (Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, 2023–2024); last verified 2026-06-15. These are occupation-group figures across all classes — actual pay rises with your class of ticket and varies by region, employer, and shift.
Where to get the real, current numbers
Wages move, and they vary a lot by region and employer, so don't trust a single figure off a forum. Use the official sources:
- Government of Canada Job Bank — search "power engineer" or "power systems operator" and filter by province for low/median/high hourly wages.
- WorkBC (British Columbia) and your province's labour-market site for regional wage data.
- Union and employer postings in your area — the fastest read on what's actually being offered right now.
The takeaway
Every class you pass is a raise. Getting your 5th or 4th Class is the entry point; moving up the ladder is where the trade really pays — and SteamTicket now has practice banks all the way to 1st Class. The exam is the gate — so the cheapest, fastest lever on your income is passing the next one.
Pass the next class
SteamTicket has practice banks for 5th Class through 1st Class, keyed to the public ABSA/SOPEEC syllabus, with full mock exams. Try a free sample, no signup: 5th · 4A · 4B · 3A · 3B · 2A · 2B · 1B, or browse all courses.