The HVAC Job Description and Education

The HVAC tech can work as an independent contractor or they can work for a heating and cooling company. Working in this field you will first need to have enrolled in an accredited certificate program or you can choose to obtain your associate’s degree. After you have completed your education you will need to find an apprenticeship program where you will work observing and carrying out delegated tasks under the supervision of licensed techs. The apprenticeship will have the duration of two to four years, depending on the level of your education. When working as an apprentice you can expect a compensation that is half of what a licensed tech will earn.  

You can find these programs available through heating and cooling schools, technical schools, vocational schools, junior colleges and online universities.

Once an apprenticeship has been completed you will need to take the state licensing exam for this field in order to earn state recognized certification.

On the job the tech will be responsible for ensuring the installation has been completed in compliance with local and state regulations and they will need to have a quality control member of the team inspect the new system for errors. Maintenance on existing systems will require you to ensure that each section of the overall system is functioning properly and efficiently.

How to Increase your HVAC Salary with Education or Position Advancement

In order to make a higher annual salary in this field you can enroll in an accredited refrigerant course or you can obtain your associate’s degree in applied science.  Some techs will choose to work as sales associates once they have obtained one to two years of field experience. As an HVAC sales associate you can increase your salary based on how many sales you’ll make in the field, what your percentage of commission is and what your hourly rate is for the individual company you work for.

Working as a project manager will require a minimum of four years of experience working as a certified tech, in addition to having obtained your associate’s degree and completed a four year apprenticeship. The project manager is the highest earning profession in this field and the position is highly competitive. Typically a company will choose to hire within for this type of supervisory role.

HVAC Manager Salary and Additional Courses

The salary for the HVAC manager will range from 55,000$ to 60,000$ annually and will require the applicant to have obtained an associate’s degree in applied science as well as a three to four year internship. These positions will typically require the manager to have a minimum of five years of experience and may also require additional refrigerant certifications.  

Some of the general HVAC programs will include refrigerant courses while the majority will require the student to take an additional certification course and licensing exam for this area.

An HVAC sales associate will have the annual salary potential of 35,000$ to 40,000$ based on that particular individual’s sales skills. To work in this position the sales associate will need to have completed an accredited certificate program, a two year apprenticeship and have a vast knowledge of all aspects of the HVAC installation, maintenance and repair costs and process.

Starting your own HVAC business can provide you with a higher salary but will require you to not only rent a work space each month but to also hire other HVAC techs, sales associates, a receptionist, pay for the rental spaces, utilities and internet and have your own company vehicles. Those wanting to go into business for themselves in this career field should have at least five years of experience and be able to offer the HVAC techs benefits and competitive wages. The new business owner should also consider taking courses in business and accounting in order to effectively run and maintain their new company.

Which State can provide the Best Salary for the HVAC Tech?

California is currently one of the top states that can provide the highest annual salary for this field, with a range of 42,000$ to 55,000$ a year for those techs that have more than two years of experience.  Florida offers their techs an annual salary of 36,000$ to 44,000$ while New York can provide an annual salary of 38,000$ to 40,000$ a year.

States that offer a lower salary for this field are Utah at 26,000$ to 30,000$ a year and Michigan with the annual salary of 26,000$ to 32,000$.

It’s common for those that have completed an HVAC program to relocate to a state that provides a significantly larger annual salary once they have gained one to two years of field experience.

HVAC Education Program Outline

An accredited program will teach students about the field of heating and air conditioning and will provide the student with a structured learning approach to the applications they will need to create and design new HVAC systems, retrofit installed systems and how to preform general repairs and maintenance.  Once the student has completed a program they will need to take the state licensing exam in order to work as a professional in this field. The HVAC student will need to work as an apprentice for a period of two years before qualifying for a license. During an apprenticeship, the student will be compensated at half the wages of a licensed HVAC tech and will be required to work under the direct supervision of a certified tech in order to have the training tech check off competency lists regarding tasks the apprentice must successfully carry out in order to make a passing grade.  

Online HVAC schools will offer the same courses as the in-class courses; however the student will have no assistance from the school in terms of finding an available internship. The online courses will allow the student to complete their coursework on their own time; however, most programs will give the student a time limit of two months to complete each section.

HVAC Degrees, Apprenticeships and Certificate Programs

In this field there is also the facilities management certificate course that will focus on teaching students how to maintain ventilation systems, perform proper HVAC practices, control installation and refrigerant handling and will require the student to have past experience working with refrigerants.  The student will also need to have their own HVAC tools such as a tape measures, hammer, wrenches, pliers, tube cutters and thermometer.

The associate’s degree in applied science will teach students about controlling environments through cooling and heating ventilation techniques. The student will learn how to repair, install and maintain cooling and heating systems with the use of environmental gauges and tools.

The apprenticeship for the HVAC tech obtaining their associate’s degree will allow the student to gain field experience and require them to spend 144 hours of classroom instruction a year and a total of 3 to 4 years dedicated to a compensated apprenticeship.