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The differences between hvac apprentices and hvac installation 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 a hvac installation technician. Additionally, a hvac installation technician has an average salary of $49,184, 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 a hvac installation technician are customer service, HVAC, and plumbing.
| Hvac Apprentice | Hvac Installation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $34,073 | $49,184 |
| Hourly rate | $16.38 | $23.65 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 25,483 | 127,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
HVAC technicians are those who install, repair, or maintain heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems controlling a building's air quality and temperature. They are assigned by technicians to travel to customers to resolve any HVAC-associated issue. Their job involves laying out, designing, and installing low voltage electrical wiring. They test tubing and pipe joints or any connection for leaks. Also, they record and report materials, deficiencies, faults, and occurrences on work.
Hvac apprentices and hvac installation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hvac Apprentice | Hvac Installation Technician | |
| Average salary | $34,073 | $49,184 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $43,000 | Between $33,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Gaithersburg, MD | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Johnson Controls | Horizon Services |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a hvac apprentice and a hvac installation technician in terms of educational background:
| Hvac Apprentice | Hvac Installation Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | Dunwoody College of Technology | Dunwoody College of Technology |
Here are the differences between hvac apprentices' and hvac installation technicians' demographics:
| Hvac Apprentice | Hvac Installation Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% | Male, 97.4% Female, 2.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |