HVACR Technicians: What Are They and What Do They Do?

Key Points

• stands for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. Technicians in this field help maintain safe and comfortable indoor environments and preserve food, medicine and other critical items through refrigeration maintenance and repair.
• may work on a variety of systems each day, and their tasks can include installing, maintaining and repairing heating, cooling and refrigeration systems. They may specialize in areas like solar panels, commercial refrigeration or radiant heating systems.
• The median annual salary for HVACR technicians in the United States was $57,300 as of May 2023.⁵⁸ Salary can vary based on experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area.
• Skills required for HVACR technicians include communication and customer service, analytics, mechanical skills, physical endurance and time management. Most employers prefer candidates with a formal education or an apprenticeship, as well as a certification for handling refrigerants.
• To become an HVACR technician, one typically completes a post-secondary training program, obtains required certifications and licenses, and then applies for entry-level positions.  

You see them in office buildings, schools, hospitals and just about any indoor space that requires heating, cooling and refrigeration. They may have even visited your home!

HVACR technicians are essential workers. Without proper heating or cooling, people could experience unsafe conditions. Food could spoil. Medicine could be damaged. Lifesaving equipment and items like a human heart that’s being stored for a transplant could be destroyed.

Learn more about HVACR technicians, including their job description, education requirements, salary info and more.

What Is HVACR?

HVACR stands for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Typically, an HVACR technician will train in all the above areas. They might work on a variety of technologies each day, from a heater/cooler to a commercial refrigerator. They may also specialize in installing, maintaining or fixing specific types of equipment.

What Does an HVACR Tech Do?

HVACR technicians work on the machines that control air quality and temperature indoors, including refrigeration, heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Some technicians specialize in specific areas, like solar panels, commercial refrigeration or radiant heating systems.

HVACR technicians may travel to multiple clients within a single day. Others work on projects as part of larger teams that can include electricians, plumbers, boilermakers and sheet metal workers.

A typical day of HVACR work might include the following duties:

• Communicating issues to customers
• Fixing or replacing defective or worn parts
• Inspecting and testing HVACR components and systems, including filters and ducts
• Installing, maintaining and cleaning HVACR systems
• Installing electrical wiring and components
• Keeping detailed work records of maintenance and repairs performed
• Providing maintenance recommendations to improve system performance

Skills Required To Be an HVACR Technician

HVACR technicians are on their feet for much of their workdays, and they use their hands to get the job done. The BLS reports today’s HVACR employers prefer candidates who’ve completed postsecondary education or an apprenticeship.

HVACR techs must be certified to handle, work with or buy refrigerant. There may also be licensing and background-check requirements for this field.

In addition to the proper education, training and licensing, HVACR technicians typically use these skills:

• Communication and customer service: HVACR technicians need to simply and clearly communicate issues to customers and team members. When HVACR technicians work on larger teams, they also need to effectively communicate and collaborate with their coworkers.
• Analytics: HVACR technicians must match the proper HVACR equipment with the space and needs of the client. This may require using math to calculate load requirements, as well as using troubleshooting skills to determine the best methods for repair.

• Mechanical skills: Since HVACR technicians are installing, maintaining and fixing complex systems, they need to be comfortable working with these machines and ensuring they work correctly.
• Physical endurance: As mentioned, HVACR work can be physical. It’s not your average desk job, where you’re sitting all day. You’ll be on your feet, moving around and potentially lifting heavy equipment.
• Time management: When HVACR technicians have a lineup of jobs to get to each day, they need to manage their time efficiently to complete work safely and on time.

One advantage of going to an HVACR school is that you can learn and sharpen these skills during your training.

HVACR Pros and Cons

Wondering whether training to become an HVACR technician fits you? Consider these benefits and challenges.

HVACR Pros

1. You get to help people. Homeowners, workers and customers need proper cooling, heating and refrigeration to live and work comfortably indoors. Every day HVACR techs help fix a system or maintain it to keep it running, they’re helping keep people safe and happy. You could be part of the solution that keeps a business running or that protects lifesaving medicine.
2. Every day is different. HVACR techs are constantly problem-solving. Their goal is to find the best solution in a safe and effective manner. If you love fixing things, analyzing puzzles and solving problems, you’d get to put those skills into action every day.
3. Opportunity. HVACR techs are needed in every state in the country and in most places around the globe. If you want to grow a career in management or executive leadership, some companies invest their time into helping their technicians develop their talent.

As Jason Freeman, Operations Manager at Technical Hot and Cold, explains, “The career path with Technical Hot and Cold can go every which way, which is exciting. (Technicians) come in, they can go into industrial, they can go into residential, they can go into commercial. In those paths, we’d like to see them well-rounded within a couple of years to be a full-on senior technician. And we’d like to get them on the road from there.”

HVACR Cons

1. You must embrace the uncomfortable. If you’re working on a broken air conditioning system in the middle of summer, your environment might get hot. HVACR techs often work outside or inside in less-than-ideal environments as they fix systems.
2. HVACR work is very physical. This may actually be a pro, if you’re looking for a job where you get to move your body while you’re on the clock. If you’d rather not get your hands dirty or be on your feet most of the day, being an HVACR tech may not suit you. Technicians climb up and down ladders, run parts, work on roofs, carry large pieces of equipment and more.
3. There may be nontraditional work hours. HVACR work is often a 24/7 job. Some HVACR technicians do have typical weekday, daytime schedules. Others might sign up to be on call on weekends or at nights. You can always negotiate your schedule with your employer, but when you’re starting out, you may be asked to work some nontraditional hours.

What Are the Steps To Becoming an HVACR Technician?

You can train to become an HVACR technician in less than a year at Universal Technical Institute (UTI). Here are the steps you can take to begin the journey toward an HVACR tech career.¹

1. Get trained

As mentioned, the BLS reports that most employers prefer candidates who have completed training or, at the very least, an apprenticeship. Training can provide safety knowledge, technical and equipment knowledge and other skills that can help prepare students to enter the field.

In UTI’s HVACR program, you can learn skills that include:

• Customer relations
• Schematics use and interpretation
• Ductwork fabrication
• AC and DC circuits and components
• Mechanical and electronic controls troubleshooting
• Vent system selection and installation
• Air handling and hydronics
• Piping and fitting basics

According to Jessica Hart, a recruiter at Thornton & Grooms Residential Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, completing a training program “is always going to put you a step ahead of somebody else. It shows you can learn.”

2. Obtain required certifications and licenses

Different states may have specific licensing and HVACR certification requirements. You can typically find these by searching online for “HVACR requirements in (state)”.

A common HVACR technician certification is the Section 608 Technician Certification, which is required for technicians who dispose of, maintain, repair or service equipment with refrigerants. If you work in the refrigeration side of HVACR, you’ll likely need to get this certification. An HVACR training program that covers refrigeration fundamentals and commercial refrigeration can help prepare you to test for this certification.

You can check job descriptions in different states while you’re training, so you can research what’s required to apply. You can also talk with your instructors or reach out to Career Services for more information on licensing and/or certification requirements.

3. Apply for a job

Program graduates are ready to apply for positions in the field. Students can connect with Career Services, which can help them find roles that match their skill sets. Most of our grads start out in entry-level roles, but as with any industry over time, they may be able to advance in their careers with experience and hard work.⁷⁷

Examples of HVACR positions include:

• Entry-level

• Advanced

FAQs

How much do HVACR technicians make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers in the United States was $57,300 in May 2023.⁵⁸ This means half earned more and half earned less. Keep in mind, that salary depends on several factors, including experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area.

What is an HVAC tech vs. HVACR tech?

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, while HVACR stands for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Most employers require their technicians to obtain licenses needed to handle refrigerant, and a majority of people who train to enter this field typically learn refrigeration skills. Therefore, these terms are often used interchangeably.

What could the future look like for HVACR technicians?

As energy efficiency standards evolve and new residential and commercial building continue to be built across the U.S., the call for skilled HVACR technicians will likely remain. Not to mention, HVACR systems are used year-round in nearly every state, making this an important role!

Interested in Becoming an HVACR Tech?

HVACR technician work is cool (literally!) because you get to work with your hands in a physical job while you bring joy and relief to customers’ lives almost every day.

If you’re interested in training to become an HVACR tech, we offer the program at several campus locations. Request info, and we’ll send you details on start dates, course descriptions and more.

Campuses That Offer HVACR Technician Training

Program coming to Sacramento and Orlando campuses pending regulatory approval.

• Avondale, Arizona
• Long Beach, California
• Sacramento, California
• Orlando, Florida
• Canton, Michigan
• Bloomfield, New Jersey
• Mooresville, North Carolina
• Austin, Texas
• Houston, Texas