What should you pay a refrigeration technician? Cao pay scales explained
Refrigeration engineering falls under the cao Technisch Installatiebedrijf. Which salary group belongs to which role, how function years are counted (differently from years of service), and what the 2026 and 2027 tables say.
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Hiring a technician means naming a figure. In refrigeration engineering that figure isn't free to choose: the company falls under a cao with fixed pay scales, and those scales have been declared universally binding. This article explains which cao that is, how you find the right cell in the table, and where things go wrong in practice.
Which cao applies to refrigeration engineering?
The cao Metaal en Techniek, part Technisch Installatiebedrijf. That's not self-evident — there are several technical caos — so it's worth knowing where it's set out. The scope of application in article 77 of that cao literally names, under sub r:
the designing, placing and mounting or repairing and/or delivering ready for operation of refrigeration and freezing installations and installations for air handling and ventilation (the latter in a refrigeration-engineering sense)
And under sub q the designing, mounting, repairing, maintaining and delivering ready for operation of installations for, among other things, air handling, ventilation and cooling.
If your company sits on the border — for example because you also do a lot of electrical engineering or construction work — that's not a matter of choosing for yourself. The cao has a Commissie Werkingssfeer for that, which oversees the classification.
The two axes: salary group and function year
The pay table has two entry points.
Salary group (A/2 through J/11) depends on the role, not on the person. The employer classifies, on the basis of the Handboek Functie-indeling voor de Metaal en Techniek — called the FC-Handboek in the cao. That handbook is formally part of the cao and can be ordered from the Vakraad; it isn't available online for free. You must inform the employee of the classification in writing.
Function years is where it goes wrong. This is *not* the number of years of service and *not* the age. It is the number of years someone holds their role at your company. Two consequences that come as a surprise in practice:
- A technician who progresses to a higher salary group after three years starts again in that new group at a low function year. Their pay goes up through the group jump, not through the function year.
- The lower groups run through fewer function years than the higher ones. Group A/2 stops at function year 3; J/11 runs through to 10. A cell that doesn't exist means that combination doesn't occur in the cao.
What else gets added on top
The table gives the gross monthly salary for full-time employment. Depending on the situation, the following are then added on top: shift allowance if shift work is performed (article 20), overtime allowance, travel hours, holiday allowance and the year-end payment. These each have their own chapter in the cao and are not part of the scale amount.
Separate youth scales apply for employees up to age 21, and there are separate tables for payment every four weeks instead of monthly. Anyone who falls under the Participatiewet has their own arrangement (article 32b).
Objecting to the classification — and why that can cost you money
An employee who disagrees with their job classification can lodge a written objection. The procedure is fixed in the cao:
1. Written objection to the employer; the employee may involve their trade union. 2. The employer confirms receipt and responds in writing with reasons. 3. No agreement, or no response within two months? Then both parties fill in a questionnaire from the Vakraad. 4. The Vakraad issues a binding ruling on the basis of the classification committee.
The point to remember: if that ruling turns out higher, the higher classification is backdated to the date on which the objection was submitted in writing. A classification that was set too low is therefore not a mistake you quietly correct later — it lands on your desk retroactively.
Two tables, not one
The cao running from 1 February 2026 through 31 January 2028 contains several pay tables with different effective dates. The two most important for day-to-day practice:
- From 1 March 2026 — the table that currently applies.
- From 1 March 2027 — which incorporates the pay increase of €115 per month.
That second table is already in the cao today. That means you can already plan for it today: you know what a technician will cost you in March 2027, which is relevant when issuing a quote with a long term or a multi-year maintenance contract.
Both tables are set out in full in the cao pay scale card — a single A4 sheet with all salary groups and function years, to print out for the hiring interview.
Where this touches your administration
Function years run out on their own date per employee. With one technician you remember that; with twelve you don't. The same goes for the certificates those same technicians need — a BRL 200 personal certificate is valid for seven years, and rarely expires at a convenient moment. See Technician leaving employment: certificates and handover for the administrative side of that.
Disclaimer: this article is a practical explanation, not pay advice and not employment-law advice. The cao text itself is leading. Check the current tables and the scope of application with your trade association (Techniek Nederland, NVKL) or your trade union, and if in doubt about a classification, consult the FC-Handboek or the Vakraad.
Frequently asked questions
Which cao applies to a refrigeration engineering installation company?
The cao Metaal en Techniek, part Technisch Installatiebedrijf. The scope of application of that cao (article 77) explicitly names, under sub r, the designing, placing, mounting, repairing and delivering ready for operation of refrigeration and freezing installations, and installations for air handling and ventilation in a refrigeration-engineering sense. Sub q also names installations for cooling in a broader sense. If you're unsure whether your company falls under it, the Commissie Werkingssfeer decides on that.
What is the difference between function years and years of service?
Function years count the number of years someone has held their role at your company — not how long they have been employed and not their age. Someone who progresses to a higher salary group starts again in that new group at a lower function year. That difference is the most common mistake when applying the table.
Who determines which salary group a technician falls into?
The employer classifies the role, and must inform the employee of that classification (article 10 of the cao). That happens on the basis of the Handboek Functie-indeling voor de Metaal en Techniek, known as the FC-Handboek, which is part of the cao and can be ordered from the Vakraad. If a role consists of multiple functions from that handbook, the employment contract must state which ones.
What if a technician disagrees with their classification?
They can lodge a written objection with the employer, and may involve their trade union. The employer confirms receipt and responds in writing with reasons. If that doesn't lead to agreement, or the employer doesn't respond within two months, both parties fill in a questionnaire from the Vakraad and the Vakraad issues a binding ruling. If that ruling turns out higher, it works back to the date on which the objection was submitted in writing — an incorrect classification can therefore cost money retroactively.