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What does a hvac maintenance technician do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

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.

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Hvac maintenance technician responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real hvac maintenance technician resumes:

  • Maintain centrifugal chillers, pumps, cooling towers, VAV, IVAV, FCU, heat boxes.
  • Perform routine maintenance on the heating and ventilation system of the hospital as well as the cooling system.
  • Qualify EPA, OSHA and hazardous materials regulations.
  • Perform repairs and maintenance on VAV's and electrical equipment.
  • Trim work including finish work all the way from paving to roofing.
  • Maintain production machines, air washers, dust collectors, air conditioners and plant chillers.
  • Work and repair rooftop units check the boilers and learn how they work plus chillers.
  • Perform all maintenance needs from remodeling, painting, roofing, electrical work, and technical needs.
  • Experience with troubleshooting diagnostic equipment and OSHA procedures for safety and storage of hazardous materials, i.e.
  • Coordinate efforts to build automatic ventilation system and also assist in wiring annealing bases for plant start up.
  • Maintain and repair all shop equipment and PLC, including pumps and refrigeration equipment to support food services operation.
  • Diagnose, test and repair malfunctioning or defective breaker controls, thermostats, switches, fuses, and electrical wiring.
  • Maintain everything in apartments electrical plumbing carpentry
  • Perform complex commercial refrigeration and plumbing maintenance and repairs along with their associate electrical and pneumatic controls.
  • Perform evaluation of HVAC equipment, refrigeration equipment and makes recommendation for replacement.

Hvac maintenance technician skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Hvac Maintenance Technicians are proficient in Plumbing, Preventative Maintenance, and HVAC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Customer-service skills, and Troubleshooting skills.

We break down the percentage of Hvac Maintenance Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Plumbing, 14%

    Perform complex commercial refrigeration and plumbing maintenance and repairs along with their associated electrical and pneumatic controls.

  • Preventative Maintenance, 7%

    Responded to maintenance calls on daily emergency calls along with preventative maintenance on residential condenser units.

  • HVAC, 6%

    Performed evaluation of HVAC equipment, refrigeration equipment and makes recommendation for replacement.

  • Customer Service, 6%

    Respond to customer service calls, and ensure building is at standard set points.

  • Ventilation, 5%

    Performed routine maintenance on the heating and ventilation system of the hospital as well as the cooling system.

  • Ladders, 5%

    Utilize safety practices relating to aerial lift vehicles, ladders and potentially hazardous environments.

"plumbing," "preventative maintenance," and "hvac" are among the most common skills that hvac maintenance technicians use at work. You can find even more hvac maintenance technician responsibilities below, including:

Dexterity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a hvac maintenance technician to have is dexterity. Their role and responsibilities require that "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." Hvac maintenance technicians often use dexterity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "used hand tools, power tools, precision measuring instruments, electrical and electronic testing devices, hoists and lifts. "

Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling hvac maintenance technician duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." According to a hvac maintenance technician resume, here's how hvac maintenance technicians can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "organized merchandise pricing; signage and coding while upholding predefined customer service standards. "

Troubleshooting skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of hvac maintenance technicians is troubleshooting skills. This skill is critical to many everyday hvac maintenance technician duties, as "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "lead technician troubleshooting servicing repairing or replacing hvac equipment. "

See the full list of hvac maintenance technician skills

Choose from 10+ customizable hvac maintenance technician resume templates

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Hvac Maintenance Technician Resume

Compare different hvac maintenance technicians

Hvac maintenance technician vs. Maintenance engineer

A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.

We looked at the average hvac maintenance technician salary and compared it with the wages of a maintenance engineer. Generally speaking, maintenance engineers are paid $4,457 higher than hvac maintenance technicians per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both hvac maintenance technician and maintenance engineer positions are skilled in plumbing, hvac, and customer service.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, hvac maintenance technician responsibilities require skills like "preventative maintenance," "ventilation," "general maintenance," and "safety procedures." Meanwhile a typical maintenance engineer has skills in areas such as "guest rooms," "maintenance tasks," "boilers," and "cleanliness." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

The education levels that maintenance engineers earn slightly differ from hvac maintenance technicians. In particular, maintenance engineers are 5.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a hvac maintenance technician. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Hvac maintenance technician vs. Maintenance helper

A maintenance helper performs basic support tasks to assist maintenance technicians in installing and repairing machines and equipment. Their responsibilities typically include gathering and handing tools, changing fixtures such as light bulbs and faucets, preparing workspaces, and cleaning work areas and equipment. They may also liaise with vendors or suppliers, build positive relationships with clients, and handle calls and correspondence. Moreover, maintenance helper must utilize their experiences to learn more complex tasks and gain industry insight.

A career as a maintenance helper brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a hvac maintenance technician. In fact, maintenance helpers salary is $11,852 lower than the salary of hvac maintenance technicians per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both hvac maintenance technicians and maintenance helpers have skills such as "plumbing," "hvac," and "ladders. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real hvac maintenance technician resumes. While hvac maintenance technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "preventative maintenance," "customer service," "ventilation," and "general maintenance," maintenance helpers use skills like "preventive maintenance," "maintenance tasks," "grounds maintenance," and "a/c."

Maintenance helpers may earn a lower salary than hvac maintenance technicians, but maintenance helpers earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $37,360. On the other hand, hvac maintenance technicians receive higher pay in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $49,281.In general, maintenance helpers achieve similar levels of education than hvac maintenance technicians. They're 0.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Hvac maintenance technician vs. Maintenance operator

Maintenance operators are skilled technicians who use a variety of small equipment and tools to perform and assist in the maintenance activities of a business establishment. These operators are required to assist the equipment manager in preparing preventative maintenance procedures so that they can increase productivity and reduce downtime of equipment. They must enforce safety rules and regulations and ensure that staff members are following them to prevent accidents in the facility. Maintenance operators must also train maintenance employees in performing proper preventative maintenance.

An average maintenance operator eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of hvac maintenance technicians. The difference in salaries amounts to maintenance operators earning a $7,256 lower average salary than hvac maintenance technicians.By looking over several hvac maintenance technicians and maintenance operators resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "plumbing," "preventative maintenance," and "hvac." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, hvac maintenance technicians are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "ventilation," "roofing," and "switches." But a maintenance operator is more likely to have skills like "cdl," "dump truck," "dot," and "equipment operation."

Maintenance operators earn the highest salary when working in the energy industry, where they receive an average salary of $41,741. Comparatively, hvac maintenance technicians have the highest earning potential in the energy industry, with an average salary of $49,281.When it comes to education, maintenance operators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to hvac maintenance technicians. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Hvac maintenance technician vs. Maintenance internship

A maintenance intern has a variety of duties and responsibilities with the organization he/she or she is working for. Typical duties that you will likely perform for this job include assisting in plant improvement project management, interact with senior leadership of the company, and assisting with moving furniture for remodeling projects. In addition, as a maintenance intern, you will have the opportunity to experience and learn the company's mission and values, gain technical knowledge, and participate in training.

Maintenance interns tend to earn a lower pay than hvac maintenance technicians by an average of $8,845 per year.While their salaries may vary, hvac maintenance technicians and maintenance interns both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "plumbing," "preventative maintenance," and "hvac. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between hvac maintenance technicians and maintenance interns, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a hvac maintenance technician might have more use for skills like "ventilation," "ladders," "roofing," and "switches." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of maintenance interns require skills like "maintenance intern," "c++," "powerpoint," and "maintenance tasks. "

Maintenance interns enjoy the best pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $44,441. For comparison, hvac maintenance technicians earn the highest salary in the energy industry.maintenance interns reach similar levels of education compared to hvac maintenance technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 4.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of hvac maintenance technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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