NOC 72420: Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics
What oil and solid fuel heating mechanics do
Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics install and maintain oil, coal and wood heating systems in residential and commercial buildings. They are employed by heating systems installation and service companies. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Read and interpret drawings or specifications to determine work to be performed
- Lay out oil burner heating system components and assemble components using hand and power tools
- Install oil burner components such as thermostats, motors, piping and safety devices, and connect to fuel supply, ventilation and electrical system
- Test installed unit and adjust controls for proper functioning
- Troubleshoot and repair malfunctioning oil burners, and their components and controls
- Install, maintain and repair coal and wood heating systems
- Perform scheduled maintenance service on oil and solid fuel heating systems.
Job titles under NOC 72420
36 job titles are classified here, including furnace installer and repairer (except gas), heating service mechanic, heating systems technician.
- coal furnace installer
- coal furnace installer-mechanic
- forced air furnace installer (except gas)
- furnace installer and repairer (except gas)
- furnace maintenance mechanic (except gas)
- furnace mechanic (except gas)
- furnace repairer (except gas)
- furnace repairman/woman (except gas)
- heating mechanic
- heating service mechanic
- heating system mechanic
- heating systems installer
- heating systems servicer
- heating systems technician
- heating technician
- oil and solid fuel heating mechanic
- oil burner apprentice
- oil burner installer
- oil burner installer and repairer
- oil burner maintainer
- oil burner mechanic
- oil burner mechanic apprentice
- oil burner repairer
- oil burner servicer
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school and training courses or a vocational program is usually required.
- Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over four years of work experience and industry courses in heating systems installation and repair is usually required for trade certification.
- Oil heat system technician trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified oil heat system technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $20.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $20.00/hr | $27.78/hr | $38.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $21.26/hr | $28.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Quebec | $21.26/hr | $28.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Ontario | $20.00/hr | $27.78/hr | $38.00/hr |
Using NOC 72420 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 36 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Gas fitters (NOC 72302)
- Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (NOC 72402)
- Oil burner installation foreman/woman (NOC 72020)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for oil and solid fuel heating mechanics?
Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics are NOC 2021 unit group 72420. Example job titles in this group include furnace installer and repairer (except gas), heating service mechanic, heating systems technician, oil burner installer.
What TEER is NOC 72420?
NOC 72420 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do oil and solid fuel heating mechanics earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $27.00/hr, about $53,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.00/hr to $40.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.