Operator Wage Calculator

Overtime Rules — BC & Alberta

• BC (Employment Standards Act): 1.5× after 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week; 2× after 12 hours/day. Some CBA agreements have different thresholds.
• Alberta: 1.5× after 8 hours/day or 44 hours/week. Many industrial project CBAs use flat daily rates or different OT structures.
• Federal projects / IUOE locals: Refer to your specific CBA — OT rules vary by local and project agreement.
• US: Federal FLSA requires 1.5× after 40 hours/week. State laws and prevailing wage projects may differ.

Living Out Allowance (LOA)

LOA is a non-taxable daily allowance paid to workers who must live away from home for work. In Canada, reasonable LOA amounts are generally non-taxable under CRA guidelines (IT-522R). This makes LOA extremely valuable — $100/day in LOA is worth more than $100/day in taxable wages, because you keep all of it.

Typical LOA rates: $100–$200/day depending on project, location, and CBA. Some remote projects pay $150–250/day.

Typical Hourly Rates by Region (2024)

• BC — IUOE Local 115 Journeyman: $48–65/hr + benefits
• Alberta — Union (Building Trades): $42–58/hr + benefits
• Alberta — Non-union: $28–45/hr (varies widely)
• Saskatchewan/Manitoba: $35–52/hr (union)
• US — IUOE Locals (varies by local): $30–65 USD/hr

Pension & Benefits

Union operators typically receive employer pension contributions of 8–15% of wages on top of base pay (into a defined contribution or defined benefit pension plan), plus extended health/dental benefits. These are real dollars — factor them into total compensation comparisons with non-union work.

Disclaimer

This calculator estimates gross pay. Actual take-home pay varies by province/state, tax bracket, benefit deductions, union dues, and other factors. Consult a payroll professional or your CBA for exact figures.