HVAC Technician Salary Canada 2026 ($37.50/hr)
HVAC is one of the few trades where demand keeps climbing no matter what the economy does. Furnaces quit in January, air conditioners quit in July, and heat pumps are becoming a common upgrade in Canadian homes. That demand shows up in the paycheque.
This guide breaks down what HVAC technicians actually earn in Canada, province by province, using official Government of Canada Job Bank wage data for NOC 72402 (heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics). Job Bank updated these figures on November 19, 2025, based on Statistics Canada's 2023 to 2024 Labour Force Survey. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless noted.
If you are comparing trades, we have the same breakdown for electricians and plumbers.
How Much Do HVAC Technicians Make in Canada?
HVAC technicians in Canada earn a median of $37.50 an hour, about $78,000 a year full time, according to Job Bank's wage data for heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (NOC 72402). The national range runs from $22 an hour at the low end to $56 at the high end, and experienced techs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario reach $58 to $62.
Annual figures below assume 2,080 hours (40 hours a week, 52 weeks), before overtime.
| Hourly | Annual (full time) | |
|---|---|---|
| Low (new to the trade) | $22.00 | $45,760 |
| Median | $37.50 | $78,000 |
| High (experienced) | $56.00 | $116,480 |
Job Bank, NOC 72402, Canada, updated November 19, 2025.
HVAC Technician Salary by Province
| Province | Low | Median | High | Median, annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $25.00 | $40.00 | $54.00 | $83,200 |
| British Columbia | $24.23 | $40.00 | $62.00 | $83,200 |
| Saskatchewan | $28.50 | $40.00 | $59.00 | $83,200 |
| Quebec | $22.40 | $38.00 | $46.08 | $79,040 |
| Ontario | $21.00 | $37.00 | $58.00 | $76,960 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00 | $36.00 | $46.00 | $74,880 |
| Manitoba | $18.00 | $36.07 | $45.00 | $75,026 |
| Prince Edward Island | $21.02 | $31.21 | $34.02 | $64,917 |
| Nova Scotia | $20.70 | $30.84 | $53.85 | $64,147 |
| New Brunswick | $20.50 | $29.76 | $45.63 | $61,901 |
| Canada | $22.00 | $37.50 | $56.00 | $78,000 |
Hourly wages from Job Bank, updated November 19, 2025 (reference period 2023 to 2024). Job Bank notes that Nova Scotia and PEI use small area estimation for 2024, and Quebec uses Employment Insurance survey data. No reliable figures are published for the three territories.
A few things stand out:
- The West leads. Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan share the top median at $40.
- Saskatchewan pays new techs the most. Its low-end rate, $28.50, is the highest in the country.
- BC has the highest ceiling at $62 an hour, but it also has some of the highest living costs, especially in Metro Vancouver.
- Atlantic Canada pays less, with medians around $30 to $31 in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI, but housing costs are lower too.
HVAC Salary in Ontario
Ontario wages vary a lot by region. Job Bank's regional breakdown (updated November 19, 2025):
| Ontario region | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | $19.50 | $40.00 | $58.00 |
| Kitchener, Waterloo, Barrie | $22.00 | $39.00 | $59.01 |
| Hamilton, Niagara Peninsula | $19.00 | $37.50 | $59.00 |
| Toronto | $21.00 | $37.00 | $58.00 |
| Northeast | $22.00 | $35.44 | $55.00 |
| Northwest | $31.00 | $35.00 | $53.70 |
| Stratford, Bruce Peninsula | $24.99 | $34.35 | $45.28 |
| London | $23.82 | $34.16 | $47.00 |
| Windsor, Sarnia | $23.65 | $33.64 | $48.68 |
Source: Job Bank, Ontario. Job Bank also reports that 77.1% of Ontario workers in this occupation receive at least one non-wage benefit.
Surprise: Toronto's median ($37) is lower than Ottawa's ($40) and Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie's ($39), even though its top-end rate ($58) matches the rest of the province. A big city does not automatically mean a bigger median.
313A vs 313D
Ontario splits the trade in two, both under Skilled Trades Ontario:
- 313A, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic: the full trade, covering residential, commercial and industrial systems. It is a Red Seal trade, and a compulsory one: you need a registered training agreement, a provisional certificate or a Certificate of Qualification to work in it legally. The apprenticeship is 9,000 hours: 8,280 on the job plus 720 in school across three levels, about five years.
- 313D, Residential Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic: a shorter apprenticeship limited to residential air conditioning.
If you want the top of the pay range, 313A is the path, because commercial and industrial work is where the higher rates are. Gas work in Ontario also needs a TSSA gas technician licence (G3, then G2), which is why so many Ontario HVAC job postings ask for both.
Apprentice to Red Seal: How Pay Climbs
Apprentices earn a percentage of the journeyperson rate, and it rises each period. Alberta publishes the clearest minimums. Per Alberta Tradesecrets (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic), apprentices must earn at least this share of the rate paid to the lowest-paid journeyperson at the same company:
| Alberta period | Minimum % of journeyperson rate | Example if that journeyperson earns $40/hr |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 50% | $20.00 |
| 2nd | 60% | $24.00 |
| 3rd | 75% | $30.00 |
| 4th | 85% | $34.00 |
| Journeyperson | 100% | $40.00+ |
$40 is Alberta's Job Bank median, used only to illustrate. Real rates depend on the employer.
Alberta's program is four periods of 1,560 hours of work plus 8 weeks of class each, and it includes Gasfitter Class B certification, so you finish with two journeyperson certificates.
Other provinces set apprentice pay differently. In Ontario, it is up to the employer or a collective agreement. Wherever you are, the jump from apprentice to journeyperson, and then to the Red Seal (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic), is the biggest raise you will ever get. The Red Seal also lets you work in any province without rewriting your exam. Here is our step-by-step on how to get your Red Seal, and WorkZen Academy has free Red Seal practice exams.
What Kind of HVAC Work Pays the Most?
Job Bank does not break wages down by specialty, so there is no official ranking. But across the trade, the pattern is consistent:
- Commercial and industrial refrigeration: grocery stores, cold storage, food plants. Big systems, high stakes, and a 313A or equivalent required.
- Building controls and automation: the tech who can troubleshoot a building automation system is rare and paid like it.
- Commercial service over residential install. Service techs diagnose, and diagnosis pays more than hanging equipment.
- Union work. UA locals and collective agreements tend to sit at the top of the provincial range, with benefits and pension on top.
- Service with commission or spiffs. Many residential shops pay techs a bonus on maintenance plans and replacement leads. Our fall maintenance upsell playbook shows how shops structure those programs.
Can an HVAC Tech Make $100,000 in Canada?
Yes, and plenty do. At full-time hours, Job Bank's high-end rates already pass $100,000 before any overtime:
- Ontario: $58/hr, about $120,640 a year
- Saskatchewan: $59/hr, about $122,720 a year
- British Columbia: $62/hr, about $128,960 a year
The usual routes to six figures:
- Overtime and on-call. HVAC emergencies do not wait for business hours, and heat waves and cold snaps are where the overtime is.
- Specializing. Commercial refrigeration and controls, see above.
- Union rates in larger cities.
- Commission on maintenance plans and replacements.
- Starting your own shop. This is where the ceiling disappears, and where the risk goes up. Read why HVAC businesses fail before you hand in your notice.
If you do go out on your own, the business side is scheduling, estimates and getting paid. WorkZen's free-forever plan covers scheduling and professional invoicing for up to 3 users, so you can run your first jobs without a software bill.
HVAC Pay in Canada vs the US
In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers at US$61,010 a year, or US$29.33 an hour (May 2025). The lowest 10% earned under US$40,050 and the top 10% over US$95,210.
Those are US dollars, so they are not directly comparable with Canada's $37.50 median in Canadian dollars. Exchange rates, benefits, health coverage and taxes all shift the real difference. BLS also projects US employment in the trade to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average.
Is HVAC a Good Career in Canada?
By the numbers, yes:
- Shortage ahead. Job Bank rates this occupation at a "strong risk of labour shortage" nationally for 2024 to 2033.
- Good outlook almost everywhere. Job Bank's three-year provincial outlooks (updated December 10, 2025) are "very good" in Saskatchewan, "good" in Ontario, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and PEI, and "moderate" in BC, Quebec, Manitoba and New Brunswick.
- Heat pumps are growing the work. More systems, more complex systems, more service calls.
The trade-offs are real too: crawlspaces, attics in July, rooftops in January, and on-call weeks. It pays well partly because it is physical, and partly because not everyone can do it.
How to Get Into HVAC
- Find an employer sponsor and register as an apprentice in your province, or start with a college pre-apprenticeship program. Our guide to trade school vs apprenticeship covers the trade-offs.
- Complete your hours and in-school levels. About five years for Ontario's 313A.
- Write your certificate exam, and the Red Seal exam where available.
- Add gas and refrigerant certifications your province requires.
Handy on the job: our free refrigerant pressure-temperature chart and the heat load calculator for Canada.
The Bottom Line
HVAC technicians in Canada earn a median of $37.50 an hour, about $78,000 a year, with the West paying the most and top-end techs passing $100,000 before overtime (Job Bank, updated November 19, 2025). The fastest raises come from finishing your apprenticeship, earning your Red Seal and moving into commercial, refrigeration or controls work.
For how HVAC stacks up against other trades, see our blue-collar jobs career guide.
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