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Hvac apprentice vs air conditioning service technician

The differences between hvac apprentices and air conditioning service 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 hvac apprentice and an air conditioning service technician. Additionally, an air conditioning service technician has an average salary of $51,938, which is higher than the $34,073 average annual salary of a hvac apprentice.

The top three skills for a hvac apprentice include customer service, customer satisfaction and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for an air conditioning service technician are plumbing, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.

Hvac apprentice vs air conditioning service technician overview

Hvac ApprenticeAir Conditioning Service Technician
Yearly salary$34,073$51,938
Hourly rate$16.38$24.97
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs25,48357,420
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 44%High School Diploma, 27%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

Hvac apprentice vs air conditioning service technician salary

Hvac apprentices and air conditioning service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Hvac ApprenticeAir Conditioning Service Technician
Average salary$34,073$51,938
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $43,000Between $35,000 And $75,000
Highest paying CityGaithersburg, MDBoston, MA
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyJohnson ControlsUniversity of Southern California
Best paying industryHealth CareTechnology

Differences between hvac apprentice and air conditioning service technician education

There are a few differences between a hvac apprentice and an air conditioning service technician in terms of educational background:

Hvac ApprenticeAir Conditioning Service Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 44%High School Diploma, 27%
Most common majorHeating And Air ConditioningHeating And Air Conditioning
Most common collegeDunwoody College of TechnologyDunwoody College of Technology

Hvac apprentice vs air conditioning service technician demographics

Here are the differences between hvac apprentices' and air conditioning service technicians' demographics:

Hvac ApprenticeAir Conditioning Service Technician
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 97.0% Female, 3.0%Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 25.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between hvac apprentice and air conditioning service technician duties and responsibilities

Hvac apprentice example responsibilities.

  • Install HVAC systems in new and retrofit fashion for residential customers in the greater-Seattle area.
  • Install and repair residential heating and air units, lift heavy equipment up ladders and in small crawl spaces.
  • Perform maintenance, repair, modification, replacement and installation of centrifugal chillers and refrigeration equipment.
  • Experience with copper, cpvc, or pvc pipe work.
  • Run PVC for HVAC applications.
  • Pump down and re-cover all refrigerant within EPA regulations.
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Air conditioning service technician example responsibilities.

  • Prepare work site (e.g., set up scaffold, ladders, stands, etc . )
  • Braze and solder pipes and cleaned/glu plastic PVC piping.
  • Place fan belt on pulleys, adjust tension and tighten bolts.
  • Prepare worksite and work from scaffolds, ladders, stands, etc.
  • Run hoses, install and hook up evaporators and hook up and install condensers.
  • Conduct trail runs before welding, soldering or brazing and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
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Hvac apprentice vs air conditioning service technician skills

Common hvac apprentice skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 14%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 14%
  • Ladders, 13%
  • Ventilation, 12%
  • Air-Conditioning Systems, 8%
Common air conditioning service technician skills
  • Plumbing, 13%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 8%
  • Emergency Repairs, 6%
  • Ventilation, 6%
  • Air-Conditioning Systems, 5%

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