What Job Bank and Alberta's apprentice wage rules show for Red Seal 313A HVAC and Refrigeration Mechanics, from first-period apprentice to journeyperson.
Alberta's occupational profile says refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics typically work 40 hours a week, year round (alis.alberta.ca, working conditions updated March 31, 2020), and Job Bank projects a strong risk of labour shortage for the occupation nationally over 2024–2033.
Here is what 313A mechanics earn at each stage, with Government of Canada Job Bank wage data (2023–2024 wages, updated November 2025) as the reference wherever an official figure exists.
Most pay figures on this page are Government of Canada Job Bank data for everyone working in the occupation, not only certified tradespeople. The 313A exam is 125 questions in 4 hours. The pass mark is 70%, which is 88 correct answers; SkilledTradesBC rounds results up from 69.5%, so 87 correct also passes there.
See what the questions look like — 115 free 313A practice questions → No account, no sign-up.
The length of the 313A apprenticeship depends on the province — Skilled Trades Ontario sets 9,000 hours (approximately five years), and Alberta four periods, each designed to take about a year — and Alberta sets apprentice wages as a minimum percentage of the journeyperson rate.
| Apprenticeship Period (Alberta) | Minimum % of the Lowest-Paid Journeyperson's Rate at the Same Company |
|---|---|
| Period 1 | 50% |
| Period 2 | 60% |
| Period 3 | 75% |
| Period 4 | 85% |
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic is designated Red Seal in all ten provinces and three territories, and Red Seal says the endorsement facilitates labour mobility (Job Bank publishes no separate Red Seal wage). Refrigerant handling needs a separate provincial certificate — in Ontario, the Ozone Depletion Prevention (ODP) card.
| Role | Typical Hourly Range | Annual Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Job Bank low, Canada (2023–24) | $22.00/hr | Job Bank publishes hourly wages only |
| Job Bank median, Canada (2023–24) | $37.50/hr | Job Bank publishes hourly wages only |
| Job Bank high, Canada (2023–24) | $56.00/hr | Job Bank publishes hourly wages only |
| Commercial, ammonia, BAS and service-manager roles | No separate Job Bank figure | Set by employer or collective agreement |
HVAC-R wages vary by province. Job Bank’s 2025–2027 employment outlook for the occupation is Very good in Saskatchewan; Good in Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island; and Moderate in British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Quebec.
| Province | Job Bank Hourly Wage, Low–High (Median) | Job Bank outlook, 2025–2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $25.00–$54.00 ($40.00) | Good |
| British Columbia | $24.23–$62.00 ($40.00) | Moderate |
| Saskatchewan | $28.50–$59.00 ($40.00) | Very good |
| Manitoba | $18.00–$45.00 ($36.07) | Moderate |
| Ontario | $21.00–$58.00 ($37.00) | Good |
| Quebec | $22.40–$46.08 ($38.00) | Moderate |
| Atlantic Canada | NB $20.50–$45.63 ($29.76); NL $20.00–$46.00 ($36.00); NS $20.70–$53.85 ($30.84); PE $21.02–$34.02 ($31.21) | NB Moderate; NL, NS and PE Good |
Job Bank publishes one wage range for the whole occupation, so the sections below describe the work, not separate pay rates.
Industrial ammonia refrigeration is a specialized segment of the 313A trade: these systems use the natural refrigerant R-717 (ammonia), which the 2024 Red Seal standard lists among the refrigerants mechanics work with. Job Bank does not publish a separate wage for ammonia work; for the trade as a whole its high wage is $56.00/hr across Canada and $62.00/hr in British Columbia (Job Bank, 2023–2024 wages).
Commercial refrigeration contractors service grocery store refrigerated display cases, restaurant walk-in coolers, convenience store systems and food distribution warehouses.
Companies like Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Carrier, Trane, and Daikin employ service technicians directly under long-term service agreements with commercial building owners. Some of these roles lead into building automation systems (BAS) and controls work, which the 2024 Red Seal standard includes in the trade's scope.
Pay at residential heating and cooling contractors is set by each employer, and some pay commission or bonuses on top of the hourly rate.
| Trade (NOC) | Job Bank Hourly Range, Canada (2023–24) | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 313A — HVAC & Refrigeration Mechanic (72402) | $22.00 – $56.00/hr | $37.50/hr |
| 310T — Truck & Transport Mechanic (72410) | $19.00 – $43.27/hr | $29.89/hr |
| 421A — Heavy Duty Equipment Technician (72401) | $23.87 – $55.00/hr | $37.12/hr |
| 309A — Construction Electrician (72200) | $20.00 – $48.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
On Job Bank's national figures (2023–2024 data), Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics have the highest median ($37.50/hr) and the highest top-of-range wage ($56.00/hr) of the four trades in this table.
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Start 313A Practice Questions →Job Bank lists $22.00–$56.00/hr for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics (NOC 72402) across Canada, with a median of $37.50/hr (2023–2024 data). The figures cover everyone in the occupation; Job Bank publishes no separate wage for Red Seal journeypersons or ammonia specialists.
Job Bank publishes wages for the whole occupation (NOC 72402), not for specializations such as industrial ammonia (R-717) refrigeration or building automation systems (BAS), both of which appear in the 2024 Red Seal Occupational Standard; we found no official source that ranks 313A specializations by pay. The highest provincial Job Bank high for the occupation is $62.00/hr in British Columbia (2023–2024 data).
Alberta's occupational profile says refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics typically work 40 hours a week, year round, in settings from compressor rooms and rooftops to clean computer rooms (alis.alberta.ca, working conditions updated March 31, 2020). We found no official source that compares seasonality or employment stability across trades.
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