Reports · Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (Red Seal)
TRADE REPORT · LAST VERIFIED 2026-07-10
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (Red Seal) in Canada — Trade Report
One page of verified facts about the refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic (red seal) trade in Canada: what it pays in each province, where the work is, how the apprenticeship and Red Seal path actually works, and how the exam is structured. Every figure below links to its source and states the period it covers. Nothing is estimated.
The trade in 30 seconds
This trade employed about 46,100 people across Canada as of 2023 (NOC 72402 (group includes apprentices + adjacent HVAC-R titles (central/commercial AC mechanic, heating and cooling mechanic, transport refrigeration mechanic); stats are not certified-journeypersons-only)) [2]. This trade has been Red Seal-designated since 1964 [6]. Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia; voluntary in Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut. 8 of 13 jurisdictions compulsory per the live Ellis Chart — a dated StatCan/NOC snippet omits BC from its compulsory list; Ellis (fetched, newer) is treated as authoritative. [4]
What you'll earn
Federal wage data (Job Bank, reference period 2023-2024) puts the country-wide median at $37.50/hour, with a spread from $22.00 to $56.00 [1]. The published spread runs from $29.76/hour in New Brunswick to $40.00/hour in Alberta.
Median hourly wage by province/territory (low–high)
| Province / territory | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $40.00 | $25.00–$54.00 |
| British Columbia | $40.00 | $24.23–$62.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $40.00 | $28.50–$59.00 |
| Quebec | $38.00 | $22.40–$46.08 |
| Ontario | $37.00 | $21.00–$58.00 |
| Manitoba | $36.07 | $18.00–$45.00 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $36.00 | $20.00–$46.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $31.21 | $21.02–$34.02 |
| Nova Scotia | $30.84 | $20.70–$53.85 |
| New Brunswick | $29.76 | $20.50–$45.63 |
| Northwest Territories | — | no data published |
| Nunavut | — | no data published |
| Yukon | — | no data published |
Source: Job Bank wage report, NOC 72402, updated 2026-06-02 [1]. 83% of workers in this occupation nationally also get at least one non-wage benefit, per the same page.
For certified holders, the Red Seal's portability is the point: the province-by-province spread above is worth checking before a relocation decision.
Where the jobs are
Ottawa's own labour-market projection rates this trade as: STRONG risk of labour shortage, 2024-2033, as reported consistently across Ottawa's Job Bank and COPS labour-market outlooks [3] The workforce is 25% aged 50 or older, with a median retirement age of 63.0 [2]. expansion ~47% (well above the ~32% all-occupation average); replacement ~53% (retirements ~76% of replacement, comparable to the ~78% national average). Note: openings and seekers are numerically equal at this rounding, yet COPS still rates the occupation strong-shortage-risk — a real tension in the source itself, not a transcription error, since the assessment also weighs the starting labour-market condition. Most work is in construction 93% (industry growing 1.5%/yr per COPS) [3].
Job Bank 3-year employment outlook by province
| Rating | Provinces |
|---|---|
| Very good | Saskatchewan |
| Good | Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta |
| Moderate | New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, British Columbia |
| Undetermined | Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut |
Source: Job Bank outlook report, NOC 72402, updated 2026-06-02 [2].
The path to Red Seal
7,200 total hours (4 levels) in NL/PE/NB/MB/SK/AB/BC/YT/NT/NU (e.g. AB: 6,240 on-job + 32 wks, per Tradesecrets — matches Ellis); NS 7,200 (4 levels, split not itemized); Ontario 9,000 (8,280 on-job + 720 in-school, ~5 years, per Skilled Trades Ontario — matches Ellis exactly); Quebec 9,800 (8,000 + 1,800) [4]
For those already in the trade but not yet certified: 10,800 NL/NS/PE/NB/MB/SK; 9,360 AB (Tradesecrets: 72 months + 9,360 hours + theory exam — matches Ellis); 9,315 BC; 9,000 ON/NT/NU; 10,800 YT; no challenge route in QC [4]
Money on the table: the federal Team Canada Strong package includes: $6B plan to recruit 80,000-100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over five years; $400/week Apprenticeship Training Grant during in-class technical training, worth up to $16,000 per apprentice, in addition to EI; one-time $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus. amounts are 'up to' figures; first payments expected no earlier than fall 2026; core funding starts 2026-27 [9]
- trade-name variants: 'Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic' (Ontario, 313A), 'Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician' (New Brunswick), 'Refrigeration Mechanic' (Quebec) [6]
- completing Alberta's apprenticeship earns TWO Alberta Journeyperson Certificates — Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic AND Gasfitter Class B [8]
- Gasfitter Class A and Class B are separate Red Seal trades [6]
- ⚠ standards transition: red-seal.ca simultaneously publishes a new RSOS ('exams currently under development') and the current exam breakdown organized by that RSOS's Major Work Activities — expect the exam breakdown to be refreshed [6]
The exam — and what to study most
The exam behind this Red Seal ticket is 125 questions, pass mark 70%, writing time four hours [5]. The exam isn't evenly split — the source's own weightings show exactly where to focus:
Official exam weightings
| Block | Share of exam | ≈ Questions |
|---|---|---|
| F — Performs maintenance and service | 25% | ~28 |
| D — Performs installation | 21% | ~26 |
| E — Performs commissioning | 17% | ~21 |
| B — Routine trade activities | 16% | ~19 |
| C — Plans installation | 13% | ~18 |
| A — Common occupational skills | 8% | ~13 |
Source: Red Seal exam information [5].
Bottom line: Performs maintenance and service is 25% of the exam on its own. A per-block diagnostic beats guessing at what to review.
The best links
- red-seal.ca — Official Red Seal trade page: NOC mapping, designation history, standards.
- red-seal.ca — The exam's authoritative 125-question breakdown across 6 blocks.
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Government of Canada wage data by province (2023-2024).
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Job Bank: 3-year prospects by province + the 10-year national outlook.
- occupations.esdc.gc.ca — ESDC's 2024-2033 projection behind the strong-shortage-risk call.
- ellischart.ca — Ellis Chart (ESDC): hours, ratios, and compulsory status per jurisdiction.
- www.skilledtradesontario.ca — Ontario's regulator page for 313A: the 9,000-hour compulsory program.
- tradesecrets.alberta.ca — Alberta's compulsory profile, including the bundled Gasfitter Class B credential.
Practice against the same standard
This site's refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic (red seal) bank mirrors the standard the real exam is built from, block by block, so practice results actually mean something. No account needed to try it free. The full bank runs 601 questions.
Practice Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (Red Seal) free →
Sources
- Job Bank — Wages: Refrigeration Ac (NOC 72402). Data period 2023-2024; updated 2026-06-02. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Job Bank — Outlook (NOC 72402). updated 2026-06-02. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- ESDC — Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) 2024-2033. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Ellis Chart (ESDC) — interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal — exam information. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Official Red Seal trade page: NOC mapping, designation history, standards. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Ontario's regulator page for 313A: the 9,000-hour compulsory program. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Alberta's compulsory profile, including the bundled Gasfitter Class B credential. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Prime Minister's Office — Team Canada Strong announcement. updated 2026-04-29. Accessed 2026-07-10.
This report is informational, not career or financial advice. Wage and outlook data are Government of Canada figures for the periods stated and change over time — the links above always have the current numbers.