If you know your way around a diesel engine and aren’t afraid of working in some of the most remote places in the country, the Canadian mining sector is essentially printing money for qualified mechanics right now.
Across Northern Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and the Territories, massive open-pit and underground mines are facing a critical shortage of Heavy Duty Mechanics (also known as Heavy Equipment Technicians).
A quick look at the Workopolis job board shows dozens of urgent openings from massive employers like Suncor, Teck, North American Construction Group (NACG), and various specialized staffing agencies.
This is not your average neighborhood auto shop gig. You are dealing with multi-million dollar pieces of industrial earth-moving equipment. Because a broken-down haul truck costs a mining company thousands of dollars a minute in lost production, they are willing to pay incredibly high hourly rates, cover your flights, and pay for your food and housing just to have you on-site to keep the fleet running.
The Quick Details
Since this is an industry-wide scramble for talent across multiple provinces, here is a general snapshot of what these mining mechanic roles look like:
| What to Know | The Details |
| Location | Remote Mine Sites (AB, BC, ON, YT, NT) |
| Employers | Suncor, Teck, NACG, Bullitt Staffing |
| Role | Heavy Duty Mechanic / Heavy Equipment Technician |
| Pay Range | $50.00 – $75.00+ per hour (Easily $120k-$150k+ annually) |
| Schedule | Fly-In/Fly-Out (FIFO) – Typically 14/14 or 7/7 rotations |
| Key Requirement | Red Seal / Journeyperson Ticket heavily preferred |
What You Would Actually Do
Working on a mine site means everything is super-sized. The wrenches are heavier, the parts require cranes to move, and the pressure to fix things quickly is intense.
- Heavy Diagnostics: You will be plugging diagnostic laptops into massive machinery to troubleshoot complex hydraulic, electrical, and diesel engine failures on equipment like CAT D11 dozers, Hitachi excavators, and massive 797 haul trucks.
- Component Rebuilds: It isn’t just oil changes. You will be responsible for tearing down and rebuilding massive transmissions, drive systems, and engines directly in the maintenance shop or out in the dirt.
- Field Repairs: When a machine breaks down in the middle of an active open-pit mine, it can’t be towed easily. You will often drive a heavy-duty service truck directly into the active mining zone to perform emergency field repairs in the mud, snow, or extreme heat.
- Preventative Maintenance: To stop those emergency breakdowns from happening in the first place, you will execute strict, scheduled maintenance routines and thorough equipment inspections.
Why Is This Such a Good Gig?
Taking a Fly-In/Fly-Out (FIFO) mining job completely changes your lifestyle and your bank account.
- The Massive Paychecks: With base rates often hovering between $50 and $75 an hour, plus built-in overtime (since you are working 12-hour shifts), making well over six figures is the absolute standard in this industry.
- The FIFO Schedule: A standard “14/14” rotation means you work 14 days straight, and then you get 14 days completely off. You essentially only work half the year, giving you massive stretches of uninterrupted free time.
- Zero Living Expenses at Work: When you are on your rotation, the company flies you to the site, puts you up in a private room at the work camp, and feeds you all your meals. You spend practically zero money while you are at work.
- Relocation Not Required: Because they fly you in from major hub airports (like Edmonton, Calgary, or Vancouver), you can often live wherever you want in Western Canada and commute to the mine.
Do You Qualify?
Mining companies do not mess around with safety or unqualified mechanics. You need serious credentials to get on a plane to a site.
The Requirements:
- The Ticket: You almost always need to be a fully certified Journeyperson Heavy Duty Equipment Technician. Holding a recognized Interprovincial Red Seal certification is the gold standard and will immediately push you to the top of the pile.
- Specific Experience: They want to see 3 to 5 years of proven experience working specifically on large-scale mobile mining equipment (like CAT, Komatsu, or Sandvik).
- Physical & Mental Toughness: You will be working 12-hour shifts, day and night, in brutal Arctic weather or sweltering summer heat. You have to be physically capable of lifting heavy parts and working safely when you are exhausted.
- Strict Clearances: Before you even set foot on a site, you must pass a rigorous fit-for-duty medical exam, as well as strict drug and alcohol testing.
How to Apply
Recruiters are constantly scouring the job boards looking for mechanics who are ready to mobilize quickly.
- Click the Link: Head directly over to the Workopolis Search for Mine Heavy Duty Mechanics.
- Filter by Rotation: Carefully read the job descriptions to find a shift schedule that works for your life (e.g., 14 days on/14 days off, or 7/7).
- Name Drop the Equipment: When you update your resume, do not just say “fixed trucks.” Specifically list the exact models of heavy machinery you have worked on (e.g., “Performed engine rebuilds on CAT 793F Haul Trucks”).
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