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The differences between hvac maintenance technicians and hvac-r 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 maintenance technician and a hvac-r technician. Additionally, a hvac-r technician has an average salary of $53,354, which is higher than the $42,676 average annual salary of a hvac maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a hvac maintenance technician include plumbing, preventative maintenance and HVAC. The most important skills for a hvac-r technician are HVAC/R, ventilation, and plumbing.
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,676 | $53,354 |
| Hourly rate | $20.52 | $25.65 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 188,673 | 85,555 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An HVAC maintenance technician specializes in installing and repairing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. They may provide services to homes, offices, and even establishments. Their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify their needs, performing equipment inspections, troubleshooting, cleaning hardware parts, and maintaining records of all transactions. They may also provide technical advice to clients on how to take better care of their equipment and appliances. Above all, an HVAC maintenance technician must adhere to the appliance and service standards, including the health and safety regulations.
HVAC-R Technicians are responsible for the repair, maintenance, and installation of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC-R) systems. Their duties include repairing, maintaining, and installing HVAC-R equipment and systems, inspect equipment maintenance risks, diagnose mechanical and electrical faults, adjusting and cleaning systems, and carrying out warranty services. They maintain accurate maintenance records, assist with customer inquiries, give technical direction, provide mentorship to the junior technicians as well as ensure work complies with service, appliance, and safety standards.
Hvac maintenance technicians and hvac-r technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,676 | $53,354 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $35,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Irvine, CA | Lynnwood, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Better |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a hvac maintenance technician and a hvac-r technician in terms of educational background:
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | - | Dunwoody College of Technology |
Here are the differences between hvac maintenance technicians' and hvac-r technicians' demographics:
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3% | Male, 97.4% Female, 2.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |