City trades hiring guide
- Local demand
- Wage context
- Contractor radar
Halifax Trades Jobs in 2026: River-Class Destroyers, the QEII Rebuild, and Cogswell
Halifax trades hiring guide — Irving Shipbuilding River-class destroyers, QEII Halifax Infirmary expansion, Cogswell District, IMP Aerospace, Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency framework, and Job Bank wage ranges.
Free for workers · city-specific hiring context
Halifax is sitting on the longest-running, biggest-dollar trades pipeline in Atlantic Canada — and one of the biggest in the country. Irving Shipbuilding is building 15 River-class destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated the broader 15-ship Canadian Surface Combatant / River-class build at at least $77.3 billion in 2021; Canada's current project page separately identifies an estimated $22.2 billion for the first three ships and associated early support. On top of that, the QEII Halifax Infirmary expansion is the largest health-care infrastructure project in Atlantic Canada, and Cogswell District is reshaping the downtown street grid.
For a tradesperson who wants steady work for the next decade and a half, Halifax is one of the most underestimated answers in the country.
What's actually hiring in Halifax right now
Irving Shipbuilding — River-class destroyers (formerly Canadian Surface Combatant). Irving was selected as Canada's National Shipbuilder under the National Shipbuilding Strategy in 2011. Canada has committed to 15 River-class destroyers, with full-rate production on the first ship beginning April 25, 2025. Use $77.3 billion carefully: that figure is the Parliamentary Budget Officer's 2021 estimate for building the fleet, while Canada's current public page cites $22.2 billion for the first batch of three ships and early support. More than 2,400 shipbuilders are on Irving's team and the workforce will scale further through the decade. Active hiring on welders, pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal, machinists, marine fitters. Irving runs a Marine Trades Initiative entry program with NSCC for welders specifically.
Irving Shipbuilding — Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships. AOPS deliveries continue. Ongoing build, refit and post-delivery support work.
QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion / QEII Renew. The Province signed the main Halifax Infirmary expansion agreement with Plenary PCL Health in February 2025, moving the project into main construction. The P3 partnership value is reported at $7.4 billion, including a $4.6 billion capital cost and 30-year operating component, with substantial completion expected in fall 2030. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, instrumentation and controls work are all on continuous draw while construction happens beside an operating hospital.
Cogswell District redevelopment. The old elevated Cogswell interchange has been demolished and the area is being rebuilt as a mixed-use downtown extension with new streets, civil infrastructure, services, and adjacent residential and commercial towers. Civil and ICI work running through the decade.
IMP Aerospace. Halifax-based aerospace contractor for the Department of National Defence, RCAF, Coast Guard helicopter and aircraft fleets. Aircraft maintenance and modification draws AMEs, sheet metal, electrical, and avionics specialty trades.
Port of Halifax expansion. South End and Fairview Cove container terminal work. Civil, electrical (terminal lighting and reefer), and mechanical.
Halifax high-rise residential. The downtown peninsula has the most residential high-rise activity it's ever seen. Form work carpenters, ironworkers, and crane operators are on continuous draw.
Top trades in demand in Halifax
- Welder (Red Seal) — Shipyard structural and pressure, plus ICI and aerospace. The shipyard hires welders heavily — both new tradespeople through the Marine Trades Initiative and experienced journeypersons. Welder Halifax | welder resume guide.
- Pipefitter (Red Seal) — Shipyard marine piping systems, hospital mechanical. Pipefitter Halifax | pipefitter resume guide.
- Construction Electrician (Red Seal) — Hospital, commercial, residential high-rise. Electrician Halifax | electrician resume guide.
- Industrial Electrician (Red Seal) — Shipyard and IMP Aerospace electrical, terminal operations.
- Marine Fitter / Shipfitter — Specialty trade at Irving, hull and structural fitup.
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (M and E categories) — IMP Aerospace, regional aviation.
- Sheet Metal Worker (Red Seal) — Shipyard, hospital, commercial HVAC.
- Plumber (Red Seal) — Hospital, commercial, residential. Plumber Halifax | plumber resume guide.
- Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (Red Seal) — Hospital, commercial. HVAC Halifax | HVAC resume guide.
- Industrial Millwright (Red Seal) — Port equipment, shipyard cranes and rolls. Millwright Halifax | millwright resume guide.
- Heavy Equipment Operator (Red Seal) — Cogswell, civil, port. HEO Halifax | HEO resume guide.
- Carpenter (Red Seal) — High-rise form work, hospital, ICI. Carpenter Halifax | carpenter resume guide.
How Nova Scotia certification works
The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency administers apprenticeship and trade qualification in the province. Nova Scotia currently lists 13 compulsory certified trades: the page-relevant ones include construction electrician, plumber, refrigeration & air conditioning mechanic, sheet metal worker, sprinkler fitter and steamfitter/pipefitter. A worker in a compulsory trade needs a certificate of qualification, registered-apprentice status, a temporary permit, or a certificate recognized by the Agency. Welder, carpenter, heavy equipment operator and industrial mechanic / millwright are designated Red Seal pathways in Nova Scotia, but they are not on the 13-trade compulsory-certified list.
For Irving Shipbuilding work specifically:
- Controlled Goods Program (CGP) registration is required for work on certain defence projects
- Secret-level security clearance for some work — Irving can sponsor, and the timeline is multi-month
- Confined space, hot work, fall protection, WHMIS 2015 — table stakes
- Marine welding tickets — Irving does in-house pre-qualification on shipyard procedures (often based on CSA W47.1 plus shipyard-specific specifications)
- The Marine Trades Initiative path provides welding entry through NSCC plus shipyard placement for new welders
For IMP Aerospace, Transport Canada AME licensing in the relevant M or E category is the gate. Specialty endorsements and type-specific training stack on top.
What you'll earn in Halifax
Hourly wage data for the Halifax economic region. These are market wages, not union agreement rates; shipyard, defence-cleared, overtime-heavy or collective-agreement jobs can land above the regional median.
| Trade | Low | Median | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder (NOC 72106) | $23.58 | $31.60 | $47.23 | Shipyard structural / pressure work can sit toward the high end. |
| Steamfitter / Pipefitter / Sprinkler fitter (NOC 72301) | $21.63 | $41.25 | $57.96 | Job Bank category includes sprinkler fitters; pipefitter is compulsory certified in NS. |
| Construction Electrician (NOC 72200) | $19.00 | $31.00 | $42.00 | Construction electrician is compulsory certified in NS. |
| Industrial Electrician (NOC 72201) | $33.00 | $41.77 | $50.00 | Shipyard, aerospace and terminal work sit here. |
| Marine Fitter / Shipfitter proxy (NOC 72104 structural metal fabricators and fitters) | $22.00 | $31.00 | $43.00 | Best Job Bank proxy for shipfitter-style structural fitup. |
| AME — aircraft mechanics / inspectors (NOC 72404) | $22.00 | $37.00 | $52.63 | Avionics/electrical technicians showed $28.88 / $39.20 / $50.18 in a separate Job Bank row. |
| Sheet Metal Worker (NOC 72102) | $19.50 | $28.08 | $38.10 | Compulsory certified in NS. |
| Plumber (NOC 72300) | $23.00 | $35.00 | $37.00 | Compulsory certified in NS. |
| Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (NOC 72402) | $21.96 | $30.80 | $51.90 | Compulsory certified in NS. |
| Industrial Millwright / Mechanic (NOC 72400) | $25.00 | $33.00 | $42.50 | Port, shipyard and industrial maintenance context. |
| Heavy Equipment Operator (NOC 73400) | $17.00 | $25.00 | $55.00 | Very wide Job Bank range; civil / port overtime can distort the high end. |
| Carpenter (NOC 72310) | $21.00 | $25.00 | $36.00 | Formwork and large ICI may exceed the median. |
Source and as-of date: Job Bank / Government of Canada, Halifax Region wage report and occupation-specific Halifax Region wage pages, wages updated November 19, 2025. Geographic unit: Halifax economic region, not the municipal boundary alone.
Who's hiring: contractors active in Halifax
For shipyard: Irving Shipbuilding (direct), plus subcontractor specialty firms in welding, painting, scaffolding (e.g. Cherubini Metal Works, Aluma Systems scaffolding, Bird Industrial maintenance).
For aerospace: IMP Aerospace (direct), and tier-2 specialty subcontractors.
For hospital and ICI: EllisDon (very active in QEII New Generation), Pomerleau, PCL Constructors Canada, Bird Construction, Marco Group (NB-based, active in Atlantic), Bird Heavy Civil.
For Cogswell and civil: Dexter Construction, Municipal Group of Companies (Halifax-based, owns Atlantic Road Construction & Paving, Conrad Bros, Basin Contracting), Aecon Atlantic.
For mechanical and electrical specialty: Black & McDonald (large Atlantic presence), Modern Niagara, Comstock Canada, Allen Mechanical, PME Inc.
For high-rise residential: Killam Properties, Southwest Properties, Armour Group, Westwood Group developers. Built by a mix of national and Atlantic-based GCs.
The Halifax nuance
The shipyard runs on a culture of its own. Marine work is unforgiving — confined space welding inside a destroyer hull is harder than equivalent ICI work. Tradespeople who put in their time at Irving leave with a skill set that opens doors anywhere in heavy industrial Canada. The flip side: getting Controlled Goods or Secret clearance takes months and recruiters will start that paperwork early. If you've ever held a security clearance before, surface it on your resume.
The Marine Trades Initiative is an underrated entry path. Funded welder training at NSCC plus a job at Irving — for the right candidate this is one of the best trade entry programs in the country.
Where to start
Halifax recruiters filter on Red Seal endorsement, shipyard / marine experience flag, security clearance status, and any defence sector exposure. Surface those on your resume.
Drop your resume into your TradeCraft profile. We auto-extract trade, tickets, employer history, and security clearance if you've ever held one. Halifax recruiters search by exact-match — and Irving's recruiters specifically look for marine and shipyard experience.