Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Median salary

$61,010

Average salary

$64,780

Employment

409,670

Projected growth

8.1% growth

Annual openings

40,100

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Do

Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 4.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: 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.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 4.7/5
Building and Constructionimportance 4.2/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.3/5
English Languageimportance 3.3/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
Designimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Telephone Conversations4.7/5
Contact With Others4.6/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.6/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.4/5
Frequency of Decision Making4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics94% skill match
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters94% skill match
Millwrights93% skill match
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians93% skill match
Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers92% skill match
Ship Engineers92% skill match
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers91% skill match
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers90% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operations Monitoringimportance 3.6/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.5/5
Installationimportance 3.4/5
Repairingimportance 3.4/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Alerton Ascent Compass
Atlas Construction Business Forms
Building automation software
Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
Contact management systems
Cworks CMMS
Data logging software
Database software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).