Commercial kitchen equipment technicians install, diagnose, maintain, and repair the cooking and refrigeration equipment used in restaurants, hotels, cafeterias, hospitals, long-term care, arenas, and other foodservice operations: ovens, ranges, fryers, steamers, kettles, griddles, combi ovens, dishwashers and warewashing systems, walk-in and reach-in refrigeration, ice machines, and prep tables. The work is field-service based, often on call for emergency breakdowns, and spans gas, electric, steam, and refrigeration systems. This is commercial foodservice equipment in restaurant and hospitality settings, not residential or home appliance repair.
How the official figures are classified
This work is anchored in NOC 72402, Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, which explicitly covers commercial and industrial refrigeration and names food wholesalers and retail and servicing establishments among its employers. Some roles overlap NOC 72421, appliance servicers, for non-refrigeration cooking equipment, but the commercial-refrigeration core places the skilled end of this trade in 72402. That is why the band below is a skilled-refrigeration band, higher than general appliance repair.
The official wage band
These are hourly low-to-high bands, not annual tiers. The national median is $37.50 per hour.
| Region | Hourly low to high |
|---|---|
| Canada (national) | $22.00 to $56.00 |
| Ontario | $21.00 to $58.00 |
| British Columbia | $24.23 to $62.00 |
Full provincial detail is on the pay by province page.
What moves pay
- Refrigeration trade certification, the skilled core that lifts a technician above the entry tier
- Commercial refrigeration on walk-ins, reach-ins, and ice machines, where downtime is expensive
- Gas cooking equipment work, which calls for a gas ticket and pays accordingly
- CFESA and factory-authorized service certifications on specific equipment lines
- On call and emergency service, where most overtime sits, kitchens cannot run cold or dark
Certification: the credential story
The skilled core of this trade is refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade certification (NOC 72402, the 313A trade in Ontario). Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, and available but voluntary in the other provinces and territories, with a Red Seal endorsement available for interprovincial mobility.
Two more credentials matter on this equipment. A provincial gas fitter licence, such as G2 or G3 in Ontario, is commonly required for gas cooking equipment, and refrigerant handling certification is required for refrigeration work. The recognized industry-specific credential is CFESA certification, from the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association, offered through major service employers as factory and CFESA Master certification training.
The refrigeration ticket is the trade, the gas ticket opens the cooking line, and CFESA is the industry's own mark of a commercial foodservice specialist. Together they separate a kitchen-equipment technician from a general appliance repairer.
Sources: Job Bank Canada wage data and requirements (NOC 72402, updated November 19, 2025), the Red Seal program, and the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA).
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