Explore by Career/Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
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.
- Median pay
- $59,810
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +8.1%
- Growing
- Typical entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Key skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Troubleshooting
- Reading Comprehension
- Installation
- Repairing
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
What they do
- 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.
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
- Install or repair self-contained ground source heat pumps or hybrid ground or air source heat pumps to minimize carbon-based energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.