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The differences between air conditioning specialists and hvac apprentices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an air conditioning specialist and a hvac apprentice. Additionally, an air conditioning specialist has an average salary of $50,129, which is higher than the $34,073 average annual salary of a hvac apprentice.
The top three skills for an air conditioning specialist include NCAA, training programs and CSCS. The most important skills for a hvac apprentice are customer service, customer satisfaction, and preventative maintenance.
| Air Conditioning Specialist | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Yearly salary | $50,129 | $34,073 |
| Hourly rate | $24.10 | $16.38 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 1,637 | 25,483 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Air conditioning is essential in many parts of the globe, especially in areas where the heat index is continuously high. An air conditioning specialist helps customers find the best air conditioning unit for their home or business. Picking the right unit is not straightforward; several factors determine which unit would be most efficient for a given building. An air conditioning specialist helps customers determine the relevant factors, calculate which units would be most efficient, and pick their best option.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) apprentices are trainees who work under HVAC maintenance workers. They train under HVAC maintenance workers to gain actual, on-the-job experience. To be an apprentice, one should have a formal training background related to HVAC repair and maintenance. They may be enrolled in a technical-vocational school specializing in HVAC repair and maintenance. As such, apprenticeship is part of their curriculum or class requirements. During their apprenticeship, HVAC apprentices will experience installing, diagnosing, repair, and maintaining HVAC units firsthand.
Air conditioning specialists and hvac apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Air Conditioning Specialist | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Average salary | $50,129 | $34,073 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $74,000 | Between $26,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CT | Gaithersburg, MD |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Allison Transmission | Johnson Controls |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an air conditioning specialist and a hvac apprentice in terms of educational background:
| Air Conditioning Specialist | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Dunwoody College of Technology |
Here are the differences between air conditioning specialists' and hvac apprentices' demographics:
| Air Conditioning Specialist | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.7% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |