HVAC Technician Jobs: Everything You Need To Know
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians are responsible for repairing, maintaining and installing air quality systems. Follow this article to get everything you need to know about HVAC technician jobs.
1. HVAC Technician Duties And Responsibilities
HVAC Technicians have several responsibilities. HVAC Technicians may have the duty of either maintaining systems or installing new ones. However, in fact, the majority of HVAC Technicians do these two jobs alternately. Other common duties of HVAC Technicians comprises:
- Installing new systems
- Removing old systems
- Training junior team members
- Communicating with clients
- Ordering and maintaining equipment
- Performing routine maintenance
- Meeting local HVAC codes
>> Read more: Benefits of being an HVAC technician
2. What Does An HVAC Technician Do?
An HVAC Technician is a maintenance professional being in charge of repairing HVAC and other air quality systems. They are typically in charge of keeping these systems clean, fixed and maintained. HVAC Technicians detect any dangerous features on an HVAC system which can cause harm to clients’ health.
Additionally, HVAC Technicians on duty are also responsible for responding to emergency calls immediately as well as offering maintenance to help fix HVAC systems rapidly.
3. Skills And Qualifications Needed for a HVAC Technician
HVAC work is a difficult task, concerning both the technical knowledge and the challenge of finding and repairing HVAC systems. Problem-solving skills are extremely important to a HVAC technician. Besides, HVAC experts also need to equip themselves with communication skills. More importantly, they must possess various highly technical skills as follow:
- Comprehending refrigeration cycles
- Reading and interpreting wiring diagrams
- Eliminating old HVAC systems so that new ones can be installed
- Running pipe and duct systems through homes
- Knowing how to interpret a variety of technical data, for example, pressure and temperature
Read more: HVAC Controls Technician
4. HVAC Technician Salary
An HVAC Technician is paid an average salary of $23.36 per hour. Nevertheless, there may be a big swing in salary depending on factors such as experience or requirements of the project.
The table below shows the average HVAC technician salary based on experience and state:
STATE |
ENTRY (<2 YEARS) |
INTERMEDIATE (2-4 YEARS) |
SENIOR (4-7 YEARS) |
SUPERVISOR (>7 YEARS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $51,200 | $61,900 | $69,400 | $92,900 |
| Arizona | $44,600 | $55,300 | $60,500 | $81,100 |
| Arkansas | $40,100 | $48,500 | $54,400 | $72,700 |
| California | $50,000 | $60,500 | $67,800 | $90,800 |
| Colorado | $45,000 | $54,500 | $61,100 | $81,900 |
| Connecticut | $49,600 | $59,900 | $67,300 | $89,600 |
| Delaware | $45,200 | $54,500 | $61,300 | $81,800 |
| Florida | $43,500 | $51,600 | $59,000 | $79,700 |
| Georgia | $43,500 | $52,100 | $58,200 | $78,600 |
| Hawaii | $46,800 | $56,500 | $63,400 | $84,900 |
| Idaho | $41,400 | $50,000 | $56,100 | $75,200 |
| Illinois | $44,700 | $53,900 | $63,400 | $80,700 |
| Indiana | $43,900 | $54,500 | $59,200 | $79,500 |
| Iowa | $42,400 | $51,300 | $57,700 | $76,700 |
| Kansas | $45,800 | $55,300 | $62,200 | $82,800 |
| Kentucky | $46,000 | $55,500 | $62,400 | $83,200 |
| Louisiana | $43,500 | $52,500 | $58,900 | $78,600 |
| Maine | $47,200 | $57,100 | $64,300 | $85,400 |
| Maryland | $46,900 | $57,900 | $63,600 | $84,900 |
| Massachusetts | $48,900 | $63,100 | $68,300 | $88,400 |
| Michigan | $43,300 | $55,700 | $60,400 | $78,300 |
| Minnesota | $46,100 | $57,500 | $64,300 | $83,300 |
| Mississippi | $41,500 | $50,100 | $56,200 | $75,100 |
| Missouri | $45,500 | $55,000 | $61,800 | $82,200 |
| Montana | $41,800 | $50,700 | $56,800 | $76,100 |
| Nation | $47,100 | $56,700 | $63,800 | $85,100 |
| Nebraska | $45,500 | $54,500 | $61,800 | $82,100 |
| Nevada | $44,700 | $54,200 | $60,700 | $81,300 |
| New Hampshire | $48,000 | $58,000 | $65,200 | $86,800 |
| New Jersey | $49,500 | $59,600 | $67,000 | $89,500 |
| New Mexico | $41,700 | $50,500 | $56,600 | $75,800 |
| New York | $47,800 | $62,200 | $64,900 | $86,300 |
| North Carolina | $43,600 | $51,400 | $58,400 | $78,900 |
| North Dakota | $43,300 | $52,400 | $58,900 | $78,400 |
| Ohio | $44,100 | $53,600 | $61,300 | $79,800 |
| Oklahoma | $42,400 | $51,200 | $57,400 | $76,700 |
| Oregon | $45,900 | $55,400 | $62,200 | $83,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,500 | $55,500 | $61,300 | $80,500 |
| Rhode Island | $48,000 | $58,100 | $65,300 | $86,900 |
| South Carolina | $43,500 | $52,400 | $58,900 | $78,500 |
| South Dakota | $43,700 | $52,700 | $59,300 | $78,900 |
| Tennessee | $43,000 | $55,100 | $58,300 | $77,800 |
| Texas | $44,100 | $52,400 | $59,900 | $79,900 |
| Utah | $43,500 | $52,700 | $59,000 | $79,200 |
| Vermont | $43,500 | $52,600 | $59,000 | $78,600 |
| Virginia | $44,900 | $53,900 | $60,800 | $81,100 |
| Washington | $47,700 | $57,800 | $64,800 | $86,700 |
| West Virginia | $40,400 | $48,700 | $54,800 | $73,100 |
| Wisconsin | $43,400 | $55,000 | $60,700 | $78,500 |
| Wyoming | $42,400 | $51,300 | $57,500 | $77,100 |
5. HVAC Technician Education And Training Requirements
To become an HVAC worker, a college degree is not required. But, you need to obtain proper certificates. Which exact requirements are needed depending on the job position you will perform. For instance, workers who come from a background in new residential construction will need a slightly different skill set compared to those coming from factory backgrounds.
In general, though, candidates are expected to attain licensure and relevant credentials. The requirements to get these are different by state. HVAC technicians working on projects above a certain dollar value may receive certain licenses which indicate what kind of experience a candidate has gained.
6. HVAC Technician Experience Requirements
Depending on each job, the experience required of an HVAC technician may differ. If you are at the entry-level position, you are likely to start from zero to one or two years of experience. Since HVAC work is quite challenging, entry-level technicians will need to spend several years training on the job before they can become mid- or senior-level positions.
The majority of candidates will have one or more years of experience, while mid- and senior-level technicians have five years of experience or more. Entry-level technicians need to continue learning through on-the-job training as well as study on their own. Newer workers need to learn from more experienced technicians.
Practice Now: HVAC Practice Test will help you strengthen your knowledge of HVAC.
7. HVAC Technician Job Outlook
The job outlook for HVAC technicians is really bright. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment may flourish faster than the average for all occupations (by around 15%).
Workers who specialize in installing new systems can be a little bit dependent on the rate of new construction activity in their fields.
>> Read more: Job Outlook for Female HVAC Technicians
8. HVAC Technician Work Environment
The majority of HVAC technicians work for construction contractors; however, around one out of 10 are self-employed. HVAC technicians can work at environments such as hospitals, schools, offices, homes, business sites or several locations in the same day. HVAC technicians can be assigned to an ongoing job location or make service calls to different sites daily.
Most technicians work indoors, but they can also work outdoors, sometimes in harsh weather.
9. HVAC Technician Work Schedule
HVAC technicians often work full-time and they can have to work overtime during the peak time such as in winter or summer. Technicians even have to work in evenings, weekends and holidays in emergency situations, particularly if you are self-employed.