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Commissioning technician vs hvac technician

The differences between commissioning technicians and hvac 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 commissioning technician, becoming a hvac technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a commissioning technician has an average salary of $72,504, which is higher than the $54,496 average annual salary of a hvac technician.

The top three skills for a commissioning technician include start-up, HVAC and cooling towers. The most important skills for a hvac technician are HVAC, customer service, and preventative maintenance.

Commissioning technician vs hvac technician overview

Commissioning TechnicianHvac Technician
Yearly salary$72,504$54,496
Hourly rate$34.86$26.20
Growth rate-5%
Number of jobs49,41986,709
Job satisfaction-4.5
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 37%Associate Degree, 29%
Average age5040
Years of experience124

What does a commissioning technician do?

A commissioning technician will work closely with commissioning engineers in supervising the final phase of a project following the installation and testing of systems. You will be responsible for inspecting and correcting the functioning of the facilities, equipment, and plants and perform repairs and maintenance as necessary. As a commissioning technician, it is also your responsibility to create and conduct test procedures, and perform routine equipment maintenance. You will also be responsible for investigating and diagnosing problems and find solutions to address them.

What does a hvac technician do?

An HVAC technician is qualified personnel who installs and repairs air-conditioning and refrigeration systems that control the temperature and air quality in both residential and commercial buildings. A technician's job may include repairing of pipe that is leaking, replacing a defective mechanical part, or adjust equipment setting for better performance. However, an HVAC technician must follow government regulations and local HVAC codes and should take the licensure examination. Some HVAC technicians are working for contractors, while others are self-employed.

Commissioning technician vs hvac technician salary

Commissioning technicians and hvac technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Commissioning TechnicianHvac Technician
Average salary$72,504$54,496
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $105,000Between $36,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-Connecticut
Best paying company-BP America Inc
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between commissioning technician and hvac technician education

There are a few differences between a commissioning technician and a hvac technician in terms of educational background:

Commissioning TechnicianHvac Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 37%Associate Degree, 29%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringHeating And Air Conditioning
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityDunwoody College of Technology

Commissioning technician vs hvac technician demographics

Here are the differences between commissioning technicians' and hvac technicians' demographics:

Commissioning TechnicianHvac Technician
Average age5040
Gender ratioMale, 95.1% Female, 4.9%Male, 97.4% Female, 2.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage8%2%

Differences between commissioning technician and hvac technician duties and responsibilities

Commissioning technician example responsibilities.

  • Train and develop employees to accomplish work assignments with focus on GMP compliance and best safety practices.
  • Lead a team of 10 engineers to develop an infrare telescope that are launched on the NASA high-altitude balloonproject BRRISON/BOPPS.
  • Work on valves, switches, and transmitters.
  • Loop check field devices to HMI with clients.
  • Stroke shutdown and control valves, check vibration to compressor HMI.
  • Adhere to all cGMP requirements as defined by plant principles and FDA guidelines.
  • Show more

Hvac technician example responsibilities.

  • Service and maintain HVAC systems by diagnosing and repairing/replacing motors temperatures controls control panels fans switches capacitors gas valves and filters.
  • Calibrate and adjust combustion efficiency on boilers and furnaces under supervision of manager.
  • Key responsibilities include repair, maintenance and installation-including electrical wiring- of various HVAC equipment, including low pressure boilers.
  • Process work orders to repair HVAC systems and restore functionality to malfunctioning systems; perform preventative maintenance and routine servicing.
  • Inject correct amount of freon need to properly cool.
  • Debug and troubleshoot GE PLC hardware and software issues.
  • Show more

Commissioning technician vs hvac technician skills

Common commissioning technician skills
  • Start-Up, 17%
  • HVAC, 14%
  • Cooling Towers, 7%
  • Control Systems, 7%
  • Leed, 6%
  • PLC, 5%
Common hvac technician skills
  • HVAC, 15%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 7%
  • Ventilation, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Boilers, 4%

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