HVAC (Heating and Cooling) Technician

Install and fix furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps and refrigeration. Busy in every heat wave and cold snap.

Typical pay: $78,000a year
Time to qualify: 4 to 5 yearspaid while you train, from day one
Demand: Good
Licence needed: Dependsneeded in 8 provinces

Click through it

Pay, the path, pros and cons and the facts on one printable page. Counsellors: send it to a student from your own email in one click.

How to start as an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician in Ontario

An apprenticeship: you are hired by a sponsor, paid while you learn on the job, and go to class for a few weeks at a time. Every fact here is from Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) and the Ontario government. See every Ontario trade side by side

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic (trade 313A)

Licence to work

Needed: you must be registered or certified

Red Seal

Yes: work anywhere in Canada

Training

9,000 hours, about 720 in class

To start

Grade 10, age 16 or older

You are paid from your first day. Over the 8,280 hours on the job, even at the minimum wage you would earn at least $148,626 before tax while you train, and most sponsors pay more as your skills grow.

The trade on Skilled Trades Ontario's site(opens in a new tab)

Residential Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic (trade 313D)

Licence to work

Needed: you must be registered or certified

Red Seal

No: a Ontario certificate

Training

4,500 hours, about 480 in class

To start

Grade 10, age 16 or older

You are paid from your first day. Over the 4,020 hours on the job, even at the minimum wage you would earn at least $72,159 before tax while you train, and most sponsors pay more as your skills grow.

The trade on Skilled Trades Ontario's site(opens in a new tab)

The steps

Check you can start: you are at least 16, allowed to work in Canada, and have the school grade the trade asks for.
Find a sponsor: an employer, or a group of employers such as a union, that will train you. This is the step most people find hardest.
Apply to Skilled Trades Ontario: online if you are 18 or older, on a paper form a parent signs if you are 16 or 17. Your sponsor signs too.
Sign your training agreement. You get a wallet card to carry at work, and your skills are signed off in a logbook as you learn them.
Work and go to class. Most of the time is paid work; every year or so you spend 8 to 12 weeks in class at a college. Where the trade has an exam, you write it at the end.

Starting an apprenticeship, from STO(opens in a new tab)

Where sponsors come from

Your guidance counsellor, and the youth apprenticeship, Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) or dual credit programs at your school. Source (opens in a new tab)
Employment Ontario: over 700 offices with free one-on-one help, and it matches apprentices with sponsors (1-800-387-5656). Source (opens in a new tab)
Job Bank's apprenticeship job search for Ontario. Source (opens in a new tab)
Unions and trade associations for the trade, college career centres and local companies. Source (opens in a new tab)

Still in high school? In Grade 11 or 12, with at least 14 credits and age 15 or older, you can start an apprenticeship through co-op placements and earn credits at the same time. Ask your school's OYAP recruiter, guidance counsellor or co-op teacher. Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)(opens in a new tab)

Not ready to find a sponsor? Free pre-apprenticeship programs (up to a year at a college or community agency, tools and books covered, with a work placement) get you ready and in front of employers. Employment Ontario helps you apply. Pre-apprenticeship training(opens in a new tab)

The money

Ontario sets no percentage of full pay for apprentices. Your sponsor agrees your wage with you, and it can never be below the minimum wage: $17.95 an hour from 1 October 2026. Source (opens in a new tab)

Canada Apprentice Loan (opens in a new tab): Up to $4,000 in interest-free loans. Red Seal trades only. Government of Canada page (opens in a new tab)
Employment Insurance (EI) in class (opens in a new tab): You may get EI while you are away from work in class. Your college seat letter gives you the EI reference code to apply. Government of Canada page (opens in a new tab)
Apprentice Development Benefit (opens in a new tab): Up to $500 a week while in class if you do not get EI or it is below $500, plus travel and childcare help.
Ontario Tools Grant (opens in a new tab): $400 to $1,000, depending on the trade, after your first level of class and a year registered.
Ontario Apprenticeship Completion Bonus (opens in a new tab): $2,000 when you finish a trade that is not Red Seal.

Where to study to become an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician in Canada

Programs in the fields this career usually comes through. Each has its own page: what it takes to get in, the courses you need and what it costs.

Colleges

Every university, each on its own page · Every college

Compare where to study thisOntario colleges side by side for skilled trades Compare with other careersPay, time, cost, the path in and the pros and cons, side by side

Or jump to a part

Quick answers

How much does an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician make in Canada?

The median pay is about $78,000 a year. Across everyone in the job it runs from about $46,000 at the lower end to about $116,000 at the upper end. The source is listed under Sources at the end of this page.

How long does it take to become an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician in Canada?

4 to 5 years, on the usual route, and you are paid while you train from the first day.

What does it cost to become an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician?

$3,000 to $11,800 all in for tuition, fees, exams and kit. Living costs are not counted.

Do you need a licence to work as an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician in Canada?

It depends where you work. You need a licence, certificate or registration in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Elsewhere there is none to hold, though many employers still ask for training or a certificate.

What is the job outlook for an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician in Canada?

Good demand nationally, from government outlook data. Demand varies by region, so check your area.

Or read the whole thing here

HVAC (Heating and Cooling) Technician salary in Canada

What you earn and what it costs to get there.

What HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) techs make

Median

$78,000

Lower end

$46,000

Upper end

$116,000

Job Bank's figures for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics across Canada (2023 to 2024) are $22.00 an hour at the low end, $37.50 median and $56.00 at the high end, about $46,000, $78,000 and $116,000 a year at 40 hours a week. In Ontario, union work in commercial and industrial refrigeration is covered by UA (the plumbers and pipefitters union) Local 787. Residential service jobs often add commission on sales.

Where pay is highest

$40.00 an hour

The median in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, about $83,000 a year

Ontario's median is $37.00 and New Brunswick's is the lowest, at $29.76. On-call and overtime hours in July and January are paid on top of the hourly rate.

Apprentice pay in Ontario

Set by your sponsor

Ontario law sets no share of the journeyperson rate for this trade

Your sponsor agrees your rate, often in a union or company agreement, and it can never be below the minimum wage. It usually climbs as you finish each level.

What it costs to get there

In-school blocks (3 over the apprenticeship): $400 to $800 each. Ontario pays the Level 1 classroom fee for classes from January 2026
ODP (ozone depletion prevention) card: About $200 to $400 for a one-day course
Gas licence course and TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) exams: $2,000 to $5,000 if your employer does not cover it
Tools and gauges: $2,000 to $4,000
Help with the bills: Canada Apprentice Loan (no interest, up to $4,000 per block) and EI (Employment Insurance) during school blocks

Roughly, all in

$3,000 to $11,800

Tuition, fees, exams and kit. Not rent, food or travel

An apprenticeship is paid work, so there is no tuition bill of the usual kind. The low end is Ontario, where Level 1 class is free for classes from January 2026: two more in school blocks at the cheaper rate, the ODP (ozone depletion prevention) card, a starter tool set, and an employer who covers the gas licence course. The high end is paying for the gas licence course and the TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) exams yourself, on top of dearer school blocks and a fuller set of gauges. The Canada Apprentice Loan charges no interest and EI (Employment Insurance) can cover you during school blocks, so cash flow during class is usually the problem rather than the total.

The federal Apprenticeship Incentive Grant closed on March 31, 2025. The new federal Red Seal Completion Bonus pays $5,000 if you finish your apprenticeship and get certified in a Red Seal trade on or after April 1, 2025. Applications open November 16, 2026.

Benefits

Company van, phone and tools
Standard for service technicians.
Union pension and benefits
UA (the plumbers and pipefitters union) Local 787 covers commercial and industrial refrigeration in Ontario.
Overtime and on-call premiums
Summer and winter peaks.
Sales commission
Residential companies pay a cut on new furnaces and heat pumps you sell. Some technicians like it, some hate it.

How to become an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician in Canada

The exact path from high school to qualified.

The path to becoming an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician, step by step

The Red Seal trade is called Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic. In Ontario it is a 9,000 hour apprenticeship.

1
High school diploma
Grade 12
Grade 12 with math and physics.
2
Find a sponsor
Weeks to months
A mechanical contractor, a home service company or a union hall. A college pre-apprenticeship in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) makes this much easier.
3
Register the apprenticeship
Days
With Skilled Trades Ontario or your provincial trades authority. Get your ODP (ozone depletion prevention) card early so you can handle refrigerant.
4
Work and study
4 to 5 years
9,000 hours in Ontario (8,280 on the job plus 720 in class over three blocks) on refrigeration, electrical controls, airflow and codes. Most other provinces run 4 periods.
5
Certificate of Qualification, Red Seal and gas licence
After your hours
Pass the provincial exam and the interprovincial Red Seal. Most residential techs also get a G2 gas licence from the TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) in Ontario.

High school courses that help you become an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician

Physics
Refrigeration is heat transfer and pressure. You will live inside these ideas.
Math
Load calculations, airflow and electrical formulas.
Electrical or technology classes
Half of modern HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) repair is troubleshooting circuit boards and wiring.
Chemistry
Refrigerants and combustion.

Time and money, at a glance

Years to licence: 5 in Ontario, 4 in most other provinces
Total out of pocket: $3,000 to $11,800 including the gas licence
Paid while training?: Yes, from day one
Exams required: Certificate of Qualification, ODP (ozone depletion prevention) card, usually a gas licence too

Compulsory in eight provinces, with extra cards

In Ontario, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic is a compulsory trade: you must be a registered apprentice or licensed to do the work. Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC (British Columbia), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia require certification too. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the territories the trade certificate is voluntary. On top of that, anyone who handles refrigerant in Ontario and most other provinces needs an ODP (ozone depletion prevention) card or the provincial equivalent, and anyone touching a gas furnace in Ontario needs a TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) gas certificate. Three cards, one job.

Quebec routeIn Quebec? The route is different. 3 more cards.

The path in Quebec

In Quebec the trade is called refrigeration mechanic (frigoriste). You take a vocational diploma first, and who certifies you depends on whether you work on construction sites or not.

1
Secondary IV courses
From age 16
The DEP (Diploma of Vocational Studies) in Refrigeration needs Secondary IV language of instruction, second language and math, and you must be 16. A high school diploma also gets you in.
2
DEP in Refrigeration (5386)
About 18 months
1,800 hours at public vocational centres, in French. The English version (5886) is listed at the Lachine vocational centre (Édifice Dalbé-Viau) in Montreal.
3
Construction sites: apprentice certificate
Weeks
The CCQ (Commission de la construction du Québec) issues it once you show the DEP and an employer registered with the CCQ guarantees you at least 150 hours over 3 months.
4
Construction sites: apprenticeship and exam
8,000 hours
4 periods of 2,000 hours, 8,000 in all, then the provincial qualification exam. Pass it and you become a journeyperson (compagnon).
5
Other work: the refrigeration certificate
At least 2,200 hours after the DEP
Outside construction sites you need the class 1 refrigeration certificate from the Quebec employment ministry: at least 4,000 hours of apprenticeship. The DEP counts for 1,800 of them.
6
Red Seal, if you want it
Any time after
Quebec takes part in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic Red Seal. With a Quebec certificate you apply to sit the exam: 100 to 150 questions, 4 hours, 70% to pass.

Working outside construction in Quebec

The class 1 refrigeration certificate covers systems of 200 watts or more, including heat pumps that both heat and cool, outside construction sites and mines. With the DEP (Diploma of Vocational Studies) you skip five required courses but must still pass two: ammonia, and the refrigeration code B52 of the CSA (Canadian Standards Association). There is also a required environmental course on halocarbon refrigerants, with its own exam. The final exam is 3 hours, 50 to 60 questions, 60% to pass. A CCQ (Quebec construction commission) journeyperson gets this certificate with no extra steps.

Refrigeration mechanics on Quebec construction sites

Hourly rate under the collective agreements (August 2026): $23.93 (first-period apprentice, light residential) to $50.87 (journeyperson, civil engineering and roads)
Average apprentice earnings in 2025: $40,896 a year, for apprentices who worked at least one hour
Average journeyperson earnings in 2025: $98,803 a year, for those who worked at least 500 hours
Active on sites in 2025: 5,385
New apprentices in 2025: 373, below the 2021 to 2024 average of 424

Figures from the CCQ (Quebec construction commission) trade sheet for refrigeration mechanics (2026). Average earnings include premiums, overtime and holiday pay under the construction collective agreements.

What helps you get ahead as an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician

Things you don't need, but that help.

Tickets that open doors

Gas licence (G2 then G1 in Ontario, Class B and A elsewhere)
Almost required for residential work. Without it you cannot touch the furnace side of the job.
Commercial refrigeration
Supermarkets, cold storage, ice rinks and food plants. More complex systems and less seasonal work.
Heat pump and controls training
Heat pump sales are booming with rebates. Manufacturer courses on cold-climate heat pumps and smart controls are short and in demand.
Building automation
Programming the controls in office towers. A desk-and-laptop side of the trade.

Nice-to-haves

Pre-apprenticeship or HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) college certificate
One or two semesters. Employers sponsor these graduates first.
Driver's licence
Service techs drive all day.
Sheet metal basics
Ductwork is a separate trade, but knowing it makes you more useful on installs.
People skills
You explain a $12,000 furnace decision to a stressed homeowner.

What being an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician is really like

Day to day, pros and cons, where you'd work.

What an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician does day to day

Service season: a van, 5 to 8 calls a day. A furnace that will not start, an air conditioner that froze up, a heat pump throwing an error code. Diagnose with gauges and a meter, replace the part, test, explain the bill. In a heat wave the day runs to 8pm. Install work is calmer: a two-person crew swaps a furnace or fits a heat pump in a day. Commercial refrigeration techs are on-call because a supermarket cannot let its freezers thaw.

The honest pros and cons of being an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician

The good

Every building has heating and cooling, so work is everywhere
Heat pump and electrification push means years of demand
Paid from the start, no student debt
Mix of mechanical, electrical and problem-solving work

The hard parts

On-call in the worst weather: attics in July, rooftops in January
Feast and famine: slammed in peak season, slow in spring and fall
Sales pressure at some residential companies
Refrigerants, high voltage and rooftops are real hazards

Work life

Typical hours: 40 a week, 50+ with on-call in peak seasons
Remote work: None
Physical demand: High: attics, crawlspaces, rooftops, heavy units
Unionized: Commercial and industrial often, residential rarely

Similar paths

Things nobody tells you about being an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician

Things people don't tell you.

Ice rinks are refrigeration too

Indoor rinks run on refrigeration plants, and many use ammonia. On October 17, 2017, an ammonia release at Fernie Memorial Arena in BC (British Columbia) killed three workers. Technical Safety BC made 18 recommendations and had all 185 public ammonia plants in the province tested for leaks.

One of the longest apprenticeships in the building trades

Ontario's Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic apprenticeship is 9,000 hours, about 5 years, the same as electrician and plumber and longer than most other trades. Only 720 of those hours are in a classroom.

Near $100,000 on Quebec sites

Quebec's construction commission counted 5,385 refrigeration mechanics on construction sites in 2025. Journeypersons who worked at least 500 hours averaged $98,803 that year, with premiums and overtime.

How an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician compares

Every list is built from the same numbers shown above, so you can see where this career sits next to the others.

Highest paying skilled trades in Canada24 of 85

More skilled trades careers in Canada

Plumbing, pipes and HVAC first, then the rest of the field. See every career in skilled trades.

Where these numbers come from

Last checked October 2026. Pay figures are typical full-time annual amounts in Canadian dollars, based on Government of Canada Job Bank wage data and published salary grids. They vary by province, employer and experience. Tuition is for domestic students. How every figure on this site is sourced and checked.