Heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician vs refrigeration technician

The differences between heatings, ventilation air conditioning technician and refrigeration technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician and a refrigeration technician. Additionally, a refrigeration technician has an average salary of $50,701, which is higher than the $39,973 average annual salary of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician.

The top three skills for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician include ventilation, HVAC and control systems. The most important skills for a refrigeration technician are preventative maintenance, hand tools, and ladders.

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician vs refrigeration technician overview

	Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician	Refrigeration Technician
Yearly salary	$39,973	$50,701
Hourly rate	$19.22	$24.38
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	9,624	131,115
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician vs refrigeration technician salary

Heatings, ventilation air conditioning technician and refrigeration technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician	Refrigeration Technician
Average salary	$39,973	$50,701
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $54,000	Between $33,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	Delaware
Best paying company	-	Micron Technology
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician and refrigeration technician education

There are a few differences between a heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician and a refrigeration technician in terms of educational background:

	Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician	Refrigeration Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Heating And Air Conditioning
Most common college	Dunwoody College of Technology	-

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician vs refrigeration technician demographics

Here are the differences between heatings, ventilation air conditioning technician' and refrigeration technicians' demographics:

	Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician	Refrigeration Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%	Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.7% White, 65.6% 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	2%	2%

Differences between heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician and refrigeration technician duties and responsibilities

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician example responsibilities.

Install compressors, evaporators, motors, temperature controls, ducts, and piping.
Utilize proper tools for performing repairs of all types of HVAC systems to include the use of Oxygen/Acetylene torch systems.
Confer with customers and inform them of the status of their HVAC units and make suggestions to repair or replace units.
Inject small amount of refrigerant into compressor to test systems, and add freon gas to build up prescribe operating pressure.
Microwave ovens, refrigerators, range-oven, washer, and dryer )
Repair and sales of appliances; microwaves, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, ect.

Refrigeration technician example responsibilities.

Assist with and, on occasion, manage installation and modification of building HVAC/R systems.
Operate, inspect, service, and maintain industrial ammonia refrigeration systems.
Repair and maintain residential heating and air conditioning systems, replacing compressors, condensers and evaporators.
Run PVC piping for drainage systems.
Install compressors, capacitors and contactors.
Clean strainers and pumpdown compressors for pms.

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician vs refrigeration technician skills

Common heating, ventilation, air conditioning technician skills

Ventilation, 51%
HVAC, 32%
Control Systems, 9%
Commercial Buildings, 8%
Humidifiers, 0%

Common refrigeration technician skills

Preventative Maintenance, 8%
Hand Tools, 5%
Ladders, 5%
Refrigeration Equipment, 5%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%
OSHA, 4%

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Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician vs Refrigeration Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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