Best programs to become a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic
You do not need a college degree to become a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate) as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician, as well as Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions).
2 college programs at 773 schools train heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, graduating 39,703 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $61,010 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
Best programs to study to become a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 47.0201 | 28,286 | 71.2% | 611 | $35,970 | $10,649 |
| 2 | CIP 15.0501 | 11,417 | 28.8% | 179 | $36,407 | $10,250 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $72,560 | 35,130 | 0.73× | 70 | 5,392 |
| Texas | $57,760 | 34,730 | 0.94× | 60 | 5,003 |
| Florida | $56,670 | 39,160 | 1.50× | 63 | 4,411 |
| Georgia | $56,390 | 12,290 | 0.95× | 29 | 2,355 |
| Illinois | $77,410 | 9,740 | 0.61× | 34 | 1,989 |
| North Carolina | $57,260 | 15,230 | 1.17× | 40 | 1,408 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,400 | 15,880 | 0.99× | 29 | 1,053 |
| Michigan | $60,850 | 12,590 | 1.09× | 22 | 1,001 |
| Alabama | $48,370 | 8,260 | 1.48× | 18 | 992 |
| New Jersey | $74,450 | 10,330 | 0.92× | 13 | 986 |
| Arizona | $59,400 | 10,860 | 1.27× | 17 | 936 |
| Louisiana | $58,650 | 5,380 | 1.05× | 17 | 907 |
| Kentucky | $58,620 | 5,100 | 0.97× | 16 | 901 |
| Mississippi | $48,680 | 2,700 | 0.88× | 15 | 751 |
| Ohio | $62,510 | 14,150 | 0.97× | 37 | 742 |
| Virginia | $59,730 | 14,690 | 1.36× | 22 | 733 |
| New York | $74,430 | 24,430 | 0.96× | 15 | 658 |
| Oklahoma | $57,560 | 5,650 | 1.25× | 23 | 655 |
| Tennessee | $55,490 | 9,740 | 1.13× | 25 | 611 |
| Missouri | $59,950 | 7,220 | 0.93× | 14 | 537 |
| Minnesota | $76,350 | 4,200 | 0.54× | 11 | 536 |
| South Carolina | $56,610 | 6,920 | 1.14× | 14 | 536 |
| Kansas | $60,460 | 3,770 | 0.99× | 13 | 514 |
| Indianalimited | $60,430 | 8,530 | 1.01× | 2 | 468 |
| Washington | $75,660 | 7,370 | 0.79× | 11 | 468 |
| Arkansas | $48,110 | 4,960 | 1.44× | 16 | 389 |
| Connecticut | $76,610 | 3,800 | 0.85× | 5 | 359 |
| Marylandmoderate | $70,020 | 8,560 | 1.18× | 4 | 356 |
| Massachusetts | $77,300 | 8,200 | 0.86× | 8 | 341 |
| Wisconsin | $61,710 | 6,630 | 0.86× | 12 | 327 |
| Colorado | $65,200 | 8,940 | 1.18× | 9 | 316 |
| Nevadamoderate | $60,510 | 4,170 | 1.02× | 4 | 301 |
| Alaskamoderate | $77,430 | 610 | 0.72× | 3 | 254 |
| Iowa | $60,680 | 3,840 | 0.93× | 11 | 223 |
| Nebraska | $59,850 | 3,020 | 1.12× | 5 | 203 |
| Maine | $63,170 | 2,250 | 1.33× | 7 | 158 |
| Utah | $58,730 | 5,580 | 1.22× | 7 | 140 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $67,370 | 1,450 | 1.10× | 2 | 130 |
| West Virginia | $48,850 | 1,690 | 0.91× | 8 | 90 |
| Delawaremoderate | $62,320 | 1,730 | 1.35× | 3 | 82 |
| New Mexicomoderate | $50,270 | 1,950 | 0.85× | 3 | 72 |
| Oregonlimited | $62,940 | 3,980 | 0.77× | 2 | 51 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $61,390 | 1,610 | 1.34× | 3 | 44 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $74,490 | 970 | 0.85× | 3 | 39 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $73,850 | 2,560 | 1.42× | 1 | 39 |
| Hawaiilimited | $65,450 | 1,300 | 0.79× | 1 | 38 |
| Idahomoderate | $56,240 | 4,550 | 2.02× | 3 | 33 |
| Montanalimited | $60,850 | 1,230 | 0.91× | 2 | 12 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
- Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.
- Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
- Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
- Adjust system controls to settings recommended by manufacturer to balance system.
- Recommend, develop, or perform preventive or general maintenance procedures, such as cleaning, power-washing, or vacuuming equipment, oiling parts, or changing filters.
- Inspect and test systems to verify system compliance with plans and specifications or to detect and locate malfunctions.
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Active Listening3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.7
- Building and Construction4.2
- Customer and Personal Service4.0
- Engineering and Technology3.5
- Computers and Electronics3.3
- English Language3.3
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity3.9
- Near Vision3.9
- Deductive Reasoning3.8
- Oral Comprehension3.6
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.6
- Finger Dexterity3.6
Core activities
- Getting Information4.1
- Performing General Physical Activities4.1
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.0
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.0
- Handling and Moving Objects4.0
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.9
How to get in
How to become a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0501Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician
- 47.0201Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic?+
You do not need a college degree to become a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate) as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician, as well as Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician, as well as Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this job, which together graduate about 39,703 people a year.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn?+
The median is $61,010 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $40,050 at the 10th percentile to $95,210 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers growing?+
BLS projects a +8.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 40,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
773 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Refrigeration Mechanic, Service Technician (Service Tech), Refrigeration Technician (Refrigeration Tech), HVAC Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanic) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 49-9021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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