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The differences between commercial service technicians and hvac apprentices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a commercial service technician, becoming a hvac apprentice takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a commercial service technician has an average salary of $49,463, which is higher than the $34,073 average annual salary of a hvac apprentice.
The top three skills for a commercial service technician include OSHA, service vehicle and ladders. The most important skills for a hvac apprentice are customer service, customer satisfaction, and preventative maintenance.
| Commercial Service Technician | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Yearly salary | $49,463 | $34,073 |
| Hourly rate | $23.78 | $16.38 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 216,958 | 25,483 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A commercial service technician is responsible for maintaining and repairing mechanical equipment and machinery for private households and commercial establishments. Commercial service technicians inspect the conditions and stability of mechanical components to identify defects and possible part replacements. They also install and assemble equipment, requiring them to have critical analysis to follow blueprints and schematics. A commercial service technician must have excellent mechanical and organizational skills, especially in recommending efficient resources and prevent breakdown reoccurrence.
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.
Commercial service technicians and hvac apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Service Technician | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Average salary | $49,463 | $34,073 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $74,000 | Between $26,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Broken Arrow, OK | Gaithersburg, MD |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | SoCalGas | Johnson Controls |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a commercial service technician and a hvac apprentice in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Service Technician | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | - | Dunwoody College of Technology |
Here are the differences between commercial service technicians' and hvac apprentices' demographics:
| Commercial Service Technician | Hvac Apprentice | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 73.2% 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 | 1% | 2% |