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The differences between commercial service technicians and refrigeration technicians 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 refrigeration technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a refrigeration technician has an average salary of $50,701, which is higher than the $49,463 average annual salary of a commercial service technician.
The top three skills for a commercial service technician include OSHA, service vehicle and ladders. The most important skills for a refrigeration technician are preventative maintenance, hand tools, and ladders.
| Commercial Service Technician | Refrigeration Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,463 | $50,701 |
| Hourly rate | $23.78 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 216,958 | 131,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| 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.
A refrigeration technician is responsible for managing refrigeration and cooling systems for private households and commercial establishments. Refrigeration technicians install refrigeration components, requiring them to have an excellent analysis of blueprints and schematics. They inspect the system components and inform the household owners and management for preventive maintenance and troubleshooting for minor defects and inconsistencies, as well as calculating costs and materials for repairs. A refrigeration technician must be well-equipped with mechanical knowledge to identify failures and upgrade units as necessary.
Commercial service technicians and refrigeration technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Service Technician | Refrigeration Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,463 | $50,701 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $74,000 | Between $33,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Broken Arrow, OK | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Delaware |
| Best paying company | SoCalGas | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a commercial service technician and a refrigeration technician in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Service Technician | Refrigeration Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between commercial service technicians' and refrigeration technicians' demographics:
| Commercial Service Technician | Refrigeration Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8% |
| 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, 7.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 2.5% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 2% |