Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) Controls technician – who works to install and repair HVAC systems of houses, offices and facilities, is an interesting career path for you to decide.

The demand for HVAC Controls technicians may vary depending on the weather and client’s orders, they have to know how to identify client’s needs, troubleshoot errors, guide the clients how to use the HVAC systems, perform maintenance and so on. This job is highly rewarding but also challenging, and if you are interested in this field, there is some brief information about HVAC Controls technicians you should know.

1. What is an HVAC Controls technician? 

1.1 Job description as an HVAC Controls technician

Before pursuing an HVAC Controls technician career, you should deeply understand what their responsibilities are. 

The main duties of HVAC Controls technicians are installing, repairing, or maintaining HVAC control systems. Control technicians have to go directly to the construction site and work with the equipment. They will also have to make diagnostic tests of temperature, humidity and pressure, which helps identify problems and solutions. HVAC Controls technicians also have to perform maintenance processes on the pumps, air compressor, fans or motors, these components need to be kept serviceable.

what is a hvac controls technician

With the development of technologies, HVAC Controls technicians always have to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest machines and systems. For this reason, they have to regularly replace and upgrade out-dated or ineffective systems to better and more money-saving devices. 

Administration function is also one of their responsibilities. HVAC Controls technicians have to calculate cost for installation or restoration, contract labor for working orders, negotiate compensation and delegate duties so as to ensure project’s completion.

>> Read more: HVAC Technician Jobs

Another important duty of an HVAC Controls is about training new employees with operating and maintaining HVAC equipment. Senior technicians who have more experiences and knowledge will lead newbies so that they can work effectively and make sure that there is no error with the system applied. 

1.2 Income level of HVAC Controls technicians

It is sure that everyone will consider the income level of a job before applying for it. HVAC Controls technician careers are described as a profession that has a very rapid growth compared to other areas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, HVAC Controls Technicians have 13% of growth from 2018 to 2028, and the amount of job opportunities for them is estimated to be around 46,300 by 2028.

In terms of the salary range, the average for an HVAC Controls technician is around $23.75 per hour, and $49,410 per year. 

About working setups, you can choose between several fields, such as education industry, technology industry, manufacturing industry, media area, or construction area. 

Additionally, before working as HVAC Controls technician, many people actually have worked at positions that have similar experiences, such as Service Technician or Maintenance Technician.

2. How to become an HVAC Controls Technician?

2.1 Skills and characteristics requirements for becoming an HVAC Controls technician

Each profession requires specific skills for sure, with HVAC Controls technician, a job where workers have to deal with complicated systems, blueprints, constructions, it’s really important to be well-prepared in terms of skills. 

The most important skill for an HVAC Controls Technician is communication skills, or customer-service skill in specific. Since technicians have to visit construction sites like buildings, houses, factories, they will have to meet and talk directly to their customers. As a result, being polite, friendly and punctual is much needed. 

Another important characteristic for HVAC Controls technicians to have is physical strength, because on their daily worklists, lifting and supporting heavy components are clearly listed out. There will be many cases where an HVAC Controls technician has to work individually with no assistants around. 

how to become a hvac controls technician

Time-management skill is also very important since a technician has to deal with numerous orders from different customers per day. Different orders will require them to travel to different places, so that the distribution of time in a day will be crucial. If they spend too much time on an order, the following ones will get proscinated. 

>> Read more: How To Become An HVAC Technician

It’s no doubt that trouble-shooting or analyzing is among their fundamental skills set. Any HVAC Controls technician must be able to brainstorm with the problems, checking and testing HVAC systems then giving best solutions to it. 

Additionally, to become an HVAC Controls technician, you have to be very detail oriented, because HVAC systems usually come with many small and complicated components in it, technicians must work with them carefully and pay attention to every detail. 

Last but not least, math skills or calculating skills are surely needed for HVAC controls technicians. You will have to make measurements, calculations with every step of your work. Just a small error in number may lead to the dysfunction or breakdown of the whole system. 

2.2  Education requirements for becoming HVAC Controls technicians

Education requirements are obvious for any high level profession, especially with HVAC careers. The research showed that 20.9% of HVAC Controls technicians acquire at least one bachelor’s degree, and 3.5%of them have master’s degrees, even though it’s still possible to be HVAC Controls technicians with just a high school degree or GED. 

HVAC Controls technicians have taken several technical or vocational schools for training courses such as math, drafting, engineering… These training courses help them to build up the basics for future careers. 

For HVAC Controls technicians who choose college level, they typically get Electrical Engineering Technology degree or Electrical Engineering degree, sometimes Environmental Control Technologies or Heating & Air Conditioning degree.

Apprenticeship programs also are good options for you to improve your knowledge and experience. These programs will last from 3-5 years, and you will receive on-job training with many expensive machines and tools to work with. People can earn certification of HVAC Controls technicians through HVAC Excellence, the National Center for Construction Education and Research or the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Accreditation.

>> Read more: HVAC apprenticeship

Following the information listed above, you can now think about how to become an HVAC Controls technician with a more specific and clearer idea in your mind. Hope that you will get success on your journey with HVAC Controls technician careers.