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.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$61,010USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$29.33USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $40,050 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $48,360 | $23.25 |
| 50th · Median | $61,010 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $77,060 | $37.05 |
| 90th | $95,210 | $45.78 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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Compare 51 state/DC wage marketsTHE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
AC Installer (Air Conditioning Installer)AC Mechanic (Air Conditioner Mechanic)AC Service Tech (Air Conditioning Service Technician)AC Servicer (Air Conditioning Servicer)AC Tech (Air Conditioning Technician)Air Balancing Technician (Air Balancing Tech)Baseboard Heating InstallerCommercial HVAC Service Tech (Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Service Technician)Commercial HVAC Tech (Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician)Commercial Refrigeration Service Technician (Commercial Refrigeration Service Tech)Cooling Technician (Cooling Tech)Furnace Installer
Expand more title examples (38)
Furnace MechanicFurnace RepairerFurnace SetterGas Furnace InstallerHeat Pump InstallerHeater InstallerHeating and AC Installer (Heating and Air Conditioning Installer)Heating and AC Servicer (Heating and Air Conditioning Servicer)Heating and AC Tech (Heating and Air Conditioning Technician)Heating Equipment InstallerHeating InstallerHeating Repair Technician (Heating Repair Tech)Heating Systems InstallerHeating Technician (Heating Tech)Heating Unit MechanicHot Air Furnace InstallerHot Air Furnace RepairerHVAC Control Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Control Technician)HVAC Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Installer)HVAC Maintenance Technician (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Maintenance Technician)HVAC Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanic)HVAC Operations Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Operations Technician)HVAC Service Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Service Technician)HVAC Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician)HVACR Service Tech (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Service Technician)HVACR Tech (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Technician)HVACR Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Refrigeration Technician)Hydronic Balancing Technician (Hydronic Balancing Tech)Refrigeration InstallerRefrigeration MechanicRefrigeration OperatorRefrigeration Repair Tech (Refrigeration Repair Technician)Refrigeration Service Technician (Refrigeration Service Tech)Refrigeration Systems InstallerRefrigeration Technician (Refrigeration Tech)Refrigeration Unit RepairerResidential Heating and Air Conditioning Installer (Residential Heating and AC Installer)Residential HVAC Service Technician (Residential Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Service Technician)
Typical tasks
- Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
- Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.
- Schedule work with customers and initiate work orders, house requisitions, and orders from stock.
- Estimate, order, pick up, deliver, and install materials and supplies needed to maintain equipment in good working condition.
Expand more tasks (24)
- Install, connect, or adjust thermostats, humidistats, or timers.
- Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
- Repair or service heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to improve efficiency, such as by changing filters, cleaning ducts, and refilling non-toxic refrigerants.
- Test pipes, lines, components, and connections for leaks.
- Braze or solder parts to repair defective joints and leaks.
- Recommend, develop, or perform preventive or general maintenance procedures, such as cleaning, power-washing, or vacuuming equipment, oiling parts, or changing filters.
- Keep records of repairs and replacements made and causes of malfunctions.
- Record and report time, materials, faults, deficiencies, or other unusual occurrences on work orders.
- Adjust system controls to settings recommended by manufacturer to balance system.
- Perform mechanical overhauls and refrigerant reclaiming.
- Install expansion and control valves, using acetylene torches and wrenches.
- Inspect and test systems to verify system compliance with plans and specifications or to detect and locate malfunctions.
- Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
- Mount compressor, condenser, and other components in specified locations on frames, using hand tools and acetylene welding equipment.
- 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.
- Install auxiliary components to heating or cooling equipment, such as expansion or discharge valves, air ducts, pipes, blowers, dampers, flues, or stokers.
- 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.
- Install or repair air purification systems, such as specialized filters or ultraviolet (UV) light purification systems.
- Supervise and instruct assistants.
- Lay out reference points for installation of structural and functional components, using measuring instruments.
- Measure, cut, thread, or bend pipe or tubing, using pipe fitter's tools.
- Install dehumidifiers or related equipment for spaces that require cool, dry air to operate efficiently, such as computer rooms.
- Lift and align components into position, using hoist or block and tackle.
- Cut or drill holes in floors, walls, or roof to install equipment, using power saws or drills.
Skills used in this work
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Expand more skills (29)
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
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