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HVAC Technicians

HVAC Technician Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

Programs in heating, air-conditioning and ventilation are offered by many secondary and postsecondary trade schools and junior and community colleges. The course may last for anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. HVAC technicians are taught theories of temperature control, equipment design and construction and electronics. Accrediting agencies like HVAC Excellence, the National Center for Construction Education and Research and the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Accreditation have set certain academic standards for HVAC programs. After completing these programs, new technicians need around 6 months to 2 years of experience before they are considered proficient.

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Training and Education

Employees are generally expected to have long-term on-the-job training. About 3% of HVAC technicians hold a bachelor's degree or better. Currently 39% of workers have some college education, though not a degree. About 58% of employees were able to get their jobs with a high-school diploma.


Job Overview

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems technicians are often referred to as HVAC technicians. They install, maintain and repair systems by adjusting system controls and testing the performance of the systems. HVAC technicians are trained in installation, maintenance and repair and often specialize in all three aspects. Some also specialize in one type of equipment, such as hydronics, solar panels or commercial refrigeration. When heating systems are not being used during the summer, HVAC technicians do maintenance work like replacing filters, ducts and other system parts.


Job Requirements

In order to become licensed, HVAC technicians need to pass a test. For these tests, some states or localities require extensive knowledge of electrical codes, while some require focusing more on specific HVAC knowledge. Completion of an apprenticeship program or 2 to 5 years of experience can be helpful. Technicians who purchase or work with refrigerants must be certified in their respective area. For this, a technician must pass a written examination. The three possible areas of certification are servicing small appliances, high-pressure refrigerants and low-pressure refrigerants.

High school courses in math, applied physics, mechanical drawing, chemistry, electronics, blueprint reading and computer applications can prove helpful for this field. Knowledge of plumbing or electrical work also helps. HVAC technicians should be in good physical condition as they need to lift and move heavy equipment.


Nature of Work

HVAC technicians work around climate-control equipment that need to be installed, repaired or serviced. They usually work in homes, retail establishments, hospitals, office buildings and factories. They are exposed to hazards like electrical shock, burns, muscle strains and other injuries from handling heavy equipment.


Area Job Conditions

HVAC technicians are relatively common in Panama City (Florida), Wichita Falls (Texas), and Lakeland (Florida). They are rarer in Valdosta (Georgia), San Jose (California), and San Francisco (California).

Workers are paid highest in Yuba City (California), San Jose (California), and Oakland (California), and lowest in McAllen (Texas), Flagstaff (Arizona), and Laredo (Texas).


Part-Time and Self Employment

About 4% of HVAC technicians work less than full-time. In 13% of the cases, workers work for themselves.


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HVAC Technicians by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anniston $33,000 100 +51%
Auburn $39,000 110 +72%
Birmingham $41,000 1,100 +35%
Decatur $44,000 70 -11%
Dothan $29,000 200 +131%
Gadsden $34,000 80 +64%
Huntsville $39,000 280 -17%
Mobile $33,000 710 +151%
Montgomery $36,000 320 +23%
Tuscaloosa $34,000 200 +44%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Kingman $39,000 160 +133%
Phoenix $46,000 3,330 +13%
Prescott $37,000 70 -12%
Tucson $41,000 660 +17%
Yuma $36,000 140 +71%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fayetteville $45,000 410 +25%
Little Rock $40,000 900 +58%
Pine Bluff $35,000 60 +43%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $47,000 230 -46%
Chico $49,000 50 -52%
Fresno $42,000 510 -3%
Los Angeles $48,000 3,920 -42%
Merced $40,000 70 -17%
Modesto $49,000 160 -35%
Napa $69,000 80 -14%
Oakland $66,000 1,180 -29%
Oxnard $40,000 380 -22%
Redding $40,000 70 -21%
Riverside $44,000 1,890 -6%
Sacramento $48,000 900 -38%
Salinas $53,000 100 -61%
San Diego $53,000 1,520 -31%
San Jose $61,000 1,110 -26%
Santa Ana $49,000 1,690 -31%
Santa Rosa $53,000 250 -10%
Stockton $59,000 190 -44%
Vallejo $63,000 170 -10%
Visalia $44,000 150 -30%
Yuba City $41,000 70 +29%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $52,000 210 -14%
Colorado Springs $47,000 400 -3%
Denver $47,000 2,140 +2%
Fort Collins $46,000 280 +41%
Greeley $39,000 40 -63%
Pueblo $40,000 150 +79%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $57,000 740 +5%
Danbury $52,000 150 +46%
Hartford $52,000 1,460 +53%
New Haven $58,000 540 +21%
Norwich $50,000 230 +19%
Waterbury $56,000 100 -2%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Dover $45,000 40 -47%
Wilmington $49,000 780 +46%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $58,000 3,370 -17%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Coral $42,000 1,000 +221%
Fort Lauderdale $45,000 1,640 +41%
Fort Walton Beach $37,000 380 +228%
Gainesville $35,000 330 +73%
Jacksonville $45,000 950 -5%
Lakeland $32,000 610 +101%
Miami $41,000 1,970 +20%
Naples $44,000 240 +37%
Ocala $35,000 180 +34%
Orlando $37,000 2,230 +31%
Palm Bay $40,000 490 +54%
Panama City $32,000 320 +209%
Pensacola $31,000 620 +162%
Port St Lucie $39,000 180 -4%
Sarasota $41,000 830 +107%
Sebastian $39,000 160 +133%
Tallahassee $36,000 290 +13%
Tampa $37,000 3,380 +77%
West Palm Beach $45,000 850 -1%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $36,000 160 +74%
Athens $43,000 80 -25%
Atlanta $43,000 3,860 0%
Augusta $32,000 360 +8%
Brunswick $34,000 90 +53%
Columbus $32,000 260 +51%
Gainesville $44,000 110 +5%
Rome $39,000 50 +1%
Savannah $37,000 280 +18%
Warner Robins $35,000 120 +52%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $56,000 630 -13%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Coeur Dalene $40,000 70 -5%
Pocatello $46,000 50 +20%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bloomington $46,000 150 +42%
Chicago $58,000 3,000 -53%
Danville $30,000 30 -20%
Springfield $50,000 170 +1%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $39,000 70 +30%
Bloomington $41,000 180 +71%
Columbus $44,000 30 -44%
Elkhart $49,000 110 -35%
Evansville $46,000 500 +82%
Fort Wayne $40,000 500 +51%
Gary $39,000 420 -5%
Indianapolis $45,000 1,270 -15%
Kokomo $38,000 110 +99%
Lafayette $34,000 50 -56%
Muncie $41,000 90 +37%
South Bend $45,000 230 +13%
Terre Haute $38,000 110 +7%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ames $42,000 150 +185%
Cedar Rapids $46,000 440 +100%
Davenport $45,000 300 0%
Des Moines $49,000 960 +77%
Dubuque $40,000 170 +117%
Iowa City $54,000 120 +12%
Sioux City $48,000 120 +9%
Waterloo $38,000 190 +45%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawrence $32,000 90 +44%
Topeka $44,000 250 +45%
Wichita $45,000 580 +23%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bowling Green $36,000 140 +70%
Lexington $38,000 510 +30%
Louisville $41,000 1,050 +4%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Alexandria $48,000 120 +25%
Baton Rouge $41,000 990 +61%
Houma $45,000 170 +16%
Lafayette $37,000 140 -38%
Monroe $34,000 200 +72%
New Orleans $40,000 1,120 +27%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bangor $42,000 60 -34%
Lewiston $41,000 90 +22%
Portland $47,000 640 +97%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $49,000 2,560 +17%
Bethesda $51,000 1,070 +11%
Cumberland $38,000 70 +34%
Hagerstown $41,000 110 -27%
Salisbury $40,000 150 +90%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Barnstable Town $52,000 390 +153%
Boston $59,000 2,910 0%
Brockton $53,000 110 -21%
Framingham $51,000 460 +76%
Haverhill $56,000 350 +179%
Lawrence $55,000 100 +13%
Leominster $47,000 160 +122%
Lowell $61,000 270 +43%
New Bedford $47,000 50 -48%
Peabody $53,000 100 -37%
Pittsfield $46,000 110 +144%
Springfield $46,000 1,000 +104%
Taunton $51,000 70 +8%
Worcester $59,000 250 -39%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $56,000 230 -14%
Battle Creek $42,000 100 +32%
Detroit $54,000 1,150 +3%
Flint $52,000 180 -13%
Grand Rapids $41,000 680 +9%
Holland $42,000 120 -20%
Jackson $47,000 60 -15%
Kalamazoo $46,000 290 +35%
Lansing $55,000 200 -38%
Monroe $45,000 60 +16%
Niles $44,000 100 +16%
Saginaw $61,000 30 -76%
Warren $44,000 1,610 -11%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Duluth $47,000 260 +27%
Mankato $53,000 50 -40%
Minneapolis $52,000 1,050 -65%
Rochester $45,000 130 -19%
St Cloud $48,000 150 +1%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $36,000 210 +25%
Hattiesburg $33,000 130 +53%
Jackson $37,000 170 -59%
Pascagoula $35,000 190 +183%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Girardeau $37,000 90 +40%
Columbia $45,000 250 +105%
Joplin $35,000 90 -25%
Kansas City $46,000 1,380 -19%
Springfield $38,000 280 -9%
St Joseph $33,000 50 -33%
St Louis $48,000 1,800 -20%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $43,000 230 -10%
Omaha $45,000 550 -30%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Carson City $47,000 50 +41%
Las Vegas $47,000 720 -49%
Reno $51,000 300 -3%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $45,000 270 +67%
Nashua $48,000 250 +15%
Portsmouth $47,000 130 +52%
Rochester $44,000 170 +115%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlantic City $45,000 350 +52%
Camden $57,000 1,390 +59%
Edison $53,000 2,640 +54%
Newark $57,000 2,060 +23%
Ocean City $44,000 100 +70%
Trenton $49,000 350 -5%
Vineland $44,000 200 +124%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $43,000 230 -64%
Las Cruces $35,000 50 -48%
Santa Fe 30 -68%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $46,000 950 +27%
Buffalo $44,000 600 -35%
Elmira $37,000 50 -8%
Glens Falls $40,000 120 +56%
Ithaca $38,000 50 -15%
Kingston $52,000 150 +67%
Nassau $61,000 2,090 -2%
New York $56,000 7,610 -13%
Poughkeepsie $50,000 650 +61%
Rochester $43,000 1,350 +61%
Syracuse $51,000 580 +13%
Utica $40,000 230 +17%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Asheville $39,000 400 +40%
Burlington $36,000 180 +114%
Charlotte $41,000 1,810 +26%
Durham $44,000 410 -9%
Fayetteville $41,000 380 +90%
Goldsboro $39,000 110 +90%
Greensboro $42,000 710 +21%
Greenville $40,000 140 +38%
Hickory $37,000 240 +2%
Jacksonville $38,000 90 +47%
Raleigh $44,000 1,050 +22%
Wilmington $35,000 310 +43%
Winston Salem $36,000 360 +5%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bismarck $43,000 120 +23%
Fargo $46,000 120 -38%
Grand Forks $46,000 50 -29%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $43,000 440 -17%
Canton $48,000 200 -25%
Cincinnati $47,000 1,940 +14%
Cleveland $64,000 2,020 +18%
Columbus $45,000 1,420 -8%
Dayton $38,000 810 +28%
Lima $40,000 110 +44%
Mansfield $47,000 70 -8%
Sandusky $36,000 40 -18%
Springfield $39,000 60 -14%
Steubenville $33,000 60 +1%
Toledo $47,000 490 +1%
Youngstown $41,000 210 -43%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawton $39,000 100 +71%
Oklahoma City $40,000 850 -12%
Tulsa $37,000 830 +16%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Corvallis $36,000 40 +8%
Eugene $44,000 160 -28%
Medford $41,000 120 +2%
Portland $51,000 1,650 -4%
Salem $42,000 210 -12%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $43,000 850 +49%
Altoona $32,000 110 +22%
Erie $57,000 120 -41%
Harrisburg $43,000 570 +8%
Johnstown $31,000 130 +56%
Lancaster $46,000 770 +101%
Lebanon $37,000 120 +82%
Philadelphia $48,000 4,470 +39%
Pittsburgh $38,000 2,410 +25%
Reading $48,000 380 +42%
Scranton $45,000 770 +80%
State College $36,000 220 +134%
Williamsport $46,000 80 +6%
York $47,000 480 +69%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $52,000 1,110 +20%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $36,000 110 +32%
Charleston $36,000 510 +8%
Columbia $37,000 810 +40%
Florence $35,000 80 -34%
Greenville $40,000 580 +18%
Myrtle Beach $34,000 190 +11%
Spartanburg $41,000 370 +104%
Sumter $32,000 90 +97%

South Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Rapid City $39,000 110 +15%
Sioux Falls $40,000 320 +45%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $37,000 460 +24%
Clarksville $34,000 230 +93%
Cleveland $40,000 50 +4%
Jackson $33,000 110 +26%
Johnson City $29,000 70 -36%
Kingsport $38,000 390 +104%
Knoxville $36,000 660 +20%
Memphis $44,000 1,030 +0%
Nashville $41,000 940 -24%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Austin $39,000 1,540 +17%
Beaumont $40,000 190 -26%
Brownsville $26,000 310 +50%
College Station $35,000 250 +75%
Corpus Christi $40,000 430 +50%
Dallas $44,000 2,530 -28%
El Paso $43,000 640 +43%
Fort Worth $39,000 1,820 +26%
Houston $44,000 4,750 +7%
Killeen $40,000 310 +52%
Laredo $27,000 190 +59%
Longview $39,000 250 +69%
Lubbock $39,000 120 -40%
Mcallen $32,000 410 +10%
Odessa $38,000 80 -5%
San Angelo $35,000 70 +18%
San Antonio $37,000 2,580 +77%
Sherman $38,000 60 +1%
Texarkana $38,000 70 -13%
Tyler $40,000 140 +1%
Victoria $34,000 140 +101%
Wichita Falls $38,000 80 -2%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Logan $32,000 120 +74%
Ogden $46,000 410 +27%
Provo $43,000 280 +2%
Salt Lake City $45,000 620 -39%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $36,000 360 +106%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Blacksburg $30,000 190 +109%
Charlottesville $43,000 270 +103%
Harrisonburg $40,000 220 +166%
Richmond $41,000 1,370 +34%
Roanoke $43,000 550 +121%
Virginia Beach $39,000 1,990 +57%
Winchester $43,000 120 +65%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bremerton $50,000 100 -21%
Kennewick $50,000 150 -4%
Seattle $57,000 1,720 -27%
Tacoma $49,000 490 +13%
Wenatchee $40,000 40 -28%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $33,000 220 -5%
Huntington $32,000 250 +40%
Morgantown $33,000 80 +2%
Parkersburg $34,000 170 +66%
Wheeling $35,000 140 +44%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $50,000 280 +55%
Eau Claire $42,000 150 +34%
Green Bay $46,000 460 +70%
Janesville $37,000 230 +143%
La Crosse $46,000 120 +11%
Madison $49,000 570 +2%
Milwaukee $46,000 920 -34%
Oshkosh $48,000 60 -56%
Racine $50,000 80 -29%
Sheboygan $42,000 90 +9%

Wyoming

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Casper $36,000 100 +95%
Cheyenne $41,000 120 +97%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Hvac Mechanics and Installers schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.