---
title: "Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer"
description: "Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves."
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanic-and-installer"
last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z"
---

# Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer

**Category:** Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · **SOC code:** 49-9021 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 49-9021.00

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

Also advertised as: A/C Tech (Air Conditioning Technician); HVAC Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Installer); HVAC Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanic); HVAC Service Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Service Technician); HVAC Specialist (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Specialist); HVAC Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician); Refrigeration Mechanic; Refrigeration Operator.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $61,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $29.33/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $40,050 to $95,210, with the middle half between $48,360 and $77,060
- **Total US employment:** 409,670
- **Typical entry education:** Certificate
- **Preparation required:** Some preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +8.1% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034)
- **Annual job openings:** 40,100 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 67/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 409,670 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $40,050 |
| 25th | $48,360 |
| 50th (median) | $61,010 |
| 75th | $77,060 |
| 90th | $95,210 |
| Mean (average) | $64,780 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DC | $84,390 | $76,787 | 400 |
| AK | $77,430 | $75,646 | 610 |
| IL | $77,410 | $77,443 | 9,740 |
| MA | $77,300 | $73,092 | 8,200 |
| CT | $76,610 | $73,941 | 3,800 |
| MN | $76,350 | $77,418 | 4,200 |
| WA | $75,660 | $70,702 | 7,370 |
| ND | $74,490 | $83,735 | 970 |
| NJ | $74,450 | $68,425 | 10,330 |
| NY | $74,430 | $68,967 | 24,430 |
| NH | $73,850 | $70,897 | 2,560 |
| CA | $72,560 | $65,535 | 35,130 |
| MD | $70,020 | $66,712 | 8,560 |
| RI | $67,370 | $65,868 | 1,450 |
| HI | $65,450 | $59,527 | 1,300 |

39 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 54 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanic-and-installer/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanic-and-installer.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 425,200 in the 2024–2034 base year to 459,700 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 34,500 jobs, or +8.1%. Much faster than average: 8.1% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 40,100 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Postsecondary nondegree award (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Some preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Long-term on-the-job training.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 68.1% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 20.2% |
| Some College Courses | 6.9% |
| High School Diploma | 3.3% |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.5% |

## What the work involves

- Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
- Perform mechanical overhauls and refrigerant reclaiming.
- Install expansion and control valves, using acetylene torches and wrenches.
- Estimate, order, pick up, deliver, and install materials and supplies needed to maintain equipment in good working condition.
- Install dehumidifiers or related equipment for spaces that require cool, dry air to operate efficiently, such as computer rooms.
- Cut or drill holes in floors, walls, or roof to install equipment, using power saws or drills.
- Keep records of repairs and replacements made and causes of malfunctions.
- 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.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Critical Thinking — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Learning Strategies — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Operations Monitoring — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Troubleshooting — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Installation — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Repairing — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Quality Control Analysis — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Equipment Maintenance — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Mechanical — importance 4.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Building and Construction — importance 4.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Customer and Personal Service — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Computers and Electronics — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Near Vision — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Deductive Reasoning — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Comprehension — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Arm-Hand Steadiness — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Finger Dexterity — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Realistic (R), Conventional (C).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| R — Realistic | 6.96 |
| C — Conventional | 4.29 |
| I — Investigative | 2.82 |
| S — Social | 1.47 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.20 |
| A — Artistic | 1.04 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 90.1 |
| ISTP | 78.2 |
| ISFJ | 74.6 |
| ESTJ | 72.3 |
| INTJ | 67.4 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Stationary Engineer and Boiler Operator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/stationary-engineer-and-boiler-operator) — median $78,620
- [Plumber](https://nuecareer.com/careers/plumber) — median $63,800
- [Control and Valve Installer and Repairer, Except Mechanical Door](https://nuecareer.com/careers/control-and-valve-installer-and-repairer) — median $74,340
- [Home Appliance Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/home-appliance-repairer) — median $50,990
- [Boilermaker](https://nuecareer.com/careers/boilermaker) — median $76,410
- [Solar Thermal Installer and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/solar-thermal-installer-and-technician) — median $63,800
- [Maintenance and Repair Worker, General](https://nuecareer.com/careers/maintenance-and-repair-worker-general) — median $49,590
- [Geothermal Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/geothermal-technician) — median $49,230
- [Industrial Machinery Mechanic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanic) — median $64,520
- [Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electric-motor-power-tool-and-related-repairer) — median $56,210

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank 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 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanic-and-installer