NOC 72401: Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
What heavy-duty equipment mechanics do
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics repair, troubleshoot, adjust, overhaul and maintain mobile heavy-duty equipment used in construction, transportation, forestry, mining, oil and gas, material handling, landscaping, land clearing, farming and similar activities. They are employed by companies which own and operate heavy equipment, and by heavy equipment dealers, rental and service establishments, railway transport companies and urban transit systems. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Check bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy construction, agricultural, logging and mining equipment for proper performance and inspect equipment to detect faults and malfunctions
- Diagnose faults or malfunctions using computerized and other testing equipment to determine extent of repair required
- Adjust equipment and repair or replace defective parts, components or systems, using hand and power tools
- Test repaired equipment for proper performance and to ensure that work meets manufacturers' specifications
- Clean, lubricate and perform other routine maintenance work on equipment
- Service attachments and working tools such as harvesting and tillage equipment, blades, ploughs, winches and side booms
- May perform repair work on heavy trucks
- May attach components and adjust new farm equipment.
- Heavy-duty mechanics may specialize in specific types of machinery such as combines or tracked vehicles, or in engine overhaul, power shift transmissions, fuel injection, hydraulics or electronics.
Job titles under NOC 72401
56 job titles are classified here, including agricultural equipment technician, construction equipment mechanic, diesel mechanic - heavy equipment.
- agricultural equipment technician
- apprentice farm equipment mechanic
- apprentice farm machinery mechanic
- backhoe mechanic
- caterpillar tractor repairer
- construction equipment mechanic
- construction equipment repairman/woman
- crane repairer
- crane service technician
- diesel engine mechanic
- diesel engine mechanic - heavy equipment
- diesel engine mechanic apprentice
- diesel engine repairman/woman - railway
- diesel locomotive repairman/woman
- diesel mechanic
- diesel mechanic - heavy equipment
- diesel mechanic apprentice
- dredge mechanic
- dredge repairer
- earthmoving equipment mechanic
- excavating equipment mechanic
- farm equipment mechanic
- farm equipment technician
- farm machinery mechanic
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school and training courses or a vocational program is usually required.
- Completion of a three- to five-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over four years of work experience and industry courses in heavy equipment repair is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Heavy-duty equipment technician trade certification is compulsory in Quebec (only in the construction industry) and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories.
- Agricultural equipment technician trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified heavy duty equipment technicians and agricultural equipment technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $23.87/hr | $37.12/hr | $55.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $22.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $51.19/hr |
Montréal QC | $20.00/hr | $34.00/hr | $36.32/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $25.40/hr | $45.00/hr | $55.50/hr |
Calgary AB | $28.10/hr | $41.03/hr | $58.02/hr |
Edmonton AB | $27.31/hr | $43.37/hr | $61.47/hr |
Ottawa ON | $20.00/hr | $32.75/hr | $45.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $27.43/hr | $39.25/hr | $46.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $24.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $47.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $25.00/hr | $36.71/hr | $49.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $22.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $51.19/hr |
London ON | $23.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $22.71/hr | $34.05/hr | $50.51/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $22.00/hr | $42.00/hr | $62.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $28.00/hr | $38.00/hr | $57.89/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $25.56/hr | $36.26/hr | $48.61/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $23.87/hr | $39.63/hr | $55.85/hr |
Nova Scotia | $20.00/hr | $31.26/hr | $41.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $20.00/hr | $29.00/hr | $40.20/hr |
Quebec | $24.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $47.00/hr |
Ontario | $22.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $51.19/hr |
Manitoba | $23.75/hr | $35.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $22.50/hr | $37.00/hr | $51.50/hr |
Alberta | $23.50/hr | $42.00/hr | $65.00/hr |
British Columbia | $27.00/hr | $45.00/hr | $55.50/hr |
Using NOC 72401 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 56 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
- Heavy equipment mechanics supervisor (NOC 72020)
- Motor vehicle diesel engine mechanic (NOC 72410)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for heavy-duty equipment mechanics?
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics are NOC 2021 unit group 72401. Example job titles in this group include agricultural equipment technician, construction equipment mechanic, diesel mechanic - heavy equipment, farm equipment mechanic.
What TEER is NOC 72401?
NOC 72401 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do heavy-duty equipment mechanics earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $37.12/hr, about $72,000 a year full-time, with a range of $23.87/hr to $55.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.