North
+67%
2015 Wages & Benefits Survey
Prepared For:
Philip Hochstein
Prepared by
Julie Winram
President
ICBA
Managing Partner
Sentis Market Research Inc.
604.336.8759 | jw@sentisresearch.com
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ICBA 2015
Wages & Benefits Survey
Summary of Survey Results
Expected Change in Work Volume in 2015
Net Change (% Predicting Increase – % Predicting Decrease)
+35%
+44%
41%
47%
North
+58%
53%
50%
Lower Mainland
Fraser Valley
+47%
Vancouver
Island
+40%
Stay the
same
Decrease
6%
2014
Increase
2015
Interior
+54%
BC’s open shop construction companies are expecting 2015 to be even busier than 2014.
Almost one in two (47%) companies are predicting increased work in 2015, while the other half
(50%) believe their business volume will stay the same. Just 3% expect a slow down. The net
expected change (increase – decrease) stands at +44 for 2015, which is 9 points higher than the net
change predicted for 2014.
The North is again predicting one of the biggest surges in business, with a predicted net change of
+58%. The rest of the province follows closely behind with companies in all regions expecting
volumes to be at least as strong as 2014.
________________________________________________________________________________
Source: 2015 ICBA Wage & Benefits Survey. The survey was conducted by Sentis Market Research
in November 2014 with 450 BC open shop construction companies, across a range of sectors and
trades.
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ICBA 2015
Wages & Benefits Survey
Summary of Survey Results
Expected Change in Work
Volume in 2015
Pipefitters & Welders
4%
Electricians
3%
32%
Net Change
(Increase – Decrease)
+ 60%
64%
41%
+ 53%
56%
Truck Drivers
48%
52%
+ 52%
Excavation Workers
50%
50%
+ 50%
50%
49%
+ 47%
Roofers & Sheet Metal Workers
53%
47%
+ 47%
Labourers
54%
46%
+ 46%
Safety Officers
2%
Steel Fabricators
60%
40%
Carpenters
62%
38%
Refrigeration and HVAC
Mechanics
Plumbers
65%
8%
Cement & Concrete Finishers
12%
Painters
25%
35%
56%
36%
62%
42%
Decrease
Stayed the same
25%
33%
+ 40%
+ 38%
+ 35%
+ 28%
+ 13%
+ 8%
Increase
All trades in BC are predicting that 2015 will be as busy or busier than 2014.
Pipefitters, welders, electricians, truck drivers and excavation workers are expecting the greatest
year over year increases. At least half of the companies employing each of these trades is
predicting more work in 2015.
The confidence voiced by excavation companies, in particular, bodes well for the industry as a
whole.
All other trades are also expecting a net increase in work volume over 2014. The least confident
are painters, but even amongst this trade more are predicting an increase than a decrease in
business volume.
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ICBA 2015
Wages & Benefits Survey
Summary of Survey Results
42%
10%
Number of Employees
Employee Hours
1%
3%
Employees
Hours
Carpenters
38%
1%
Refrigeration & HVAC Mechanics
35%
0%
Pipefitters & Welders
60%
12%
Electricians
51%
13%
Truck Drivers
48%
14%
Labourers
46%
8%
Excavation Workers
50%
8%
Safety Officers
46%
10%
Painters
33%
0%
Roofers & Sheet Metal Workers
40%
17%
Plumbers
33%
6%
Cement and Concrete Finishers
25%
13%
Handling Changes in
Volume in 2015
Companies are largely looking to hire tradespeople in order to meet the rising demand. Four times
as many companies plan to add employees than to increase existing employee hours (42% versus
10%). This continues the trend from last year when 35% were planning to hire and 8% were
planning to increase hours.
The preference for hiring new employees over increasing hours is especially pronounced among
carpenters, refrigeration/HVAC mechanics and painters.
The strongest demand for new hires is for pipefitters and welders, with six in ten of the companies
employing these trades looking to hire more on in 2015.
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ICBA 2015
Wages & Benefits Survey
Summary of Survey Results
Hourly Wages by Trade
Foreman
Entry Level
All Trades
$46.18
$15.51
Refrigeration & HVAC
Mechanics
$16.90
Roofers & Sheet Metal Workers
$16.98
Pipefitters & Welders
$15.51
Electricians
$15.54
$19.25
Carpenters
$18.82
$35.50
$19.95
Cement & Concrete Finishers
$17.50
Labourers
$16.80
Painters
$16.74
Truck Drivers
$36.08
$35.34
Steel Fabricators
Excavation Workers
$46.18
$18.40
Plumbers
Expected
Increase in
2015
+ 3%
+ 4%
+ 3%
+ 3%
$34.70
+ 3%
$34.08
+ 4%
$33.11
+ 4%
$33.03
+ 4%
$32.33
$29.53
$27.70
$26.00
+ 4%
$26.76
+ 4%
+4%
+ 3%
+ 3%
$12.00 $17.00 $22.00 $27.00 $32.00 $37.00 $42.00 $47.00
Open shop construction companies in BC are budgeting on a 4% overall wage increase for trades in
2015 and another 4% increase in 2016.
The wage increases expected in 2015 are highly consistent across the trades.
The chart above shows the range of the current hourly wages for the major trades in the province
and the expected increase in 2015. For a complete breakdown of hourly wages by level (e.g. 1 st
year Apprentice, up to Foreman), and by region, type of work and size of field crew, please visit:
http://sentissurvey.com/icba-report/2015/
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ICBA 2015
Wages & Benefits Survey
Summary of Survey Results
Premium Paid for Work in Remote Areas
Pay premium
45%
55%
Pay the same
The average hourly premium paid to workers
in remote areas is $4.65 per hour
Just over half of companies pay a premium to their workers when they work in remote areas of BC,
while the remainder pay the same.
Across the various trades, the hourly premium that is paid for work in remote areas tends to fall
between $4 and $5, with the overall average premium standing at $4.65.
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