How To Become A Hvac Operations Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hvac operations technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

John Terasconi

The average hvac operations technician salary is $55,914. The most common degree is a associate degree degree with an heating and air conditioning major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a hvac operations technician. Hvac operations technicians with a EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a hvac operations technician?

John Terasconi

Associate Professor, HVAC-R Department Chair, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

The best advice I could give is to stay focused on your job and strive to learn as much as possible. Take the time to truly understand the systems you're working on, continuously develop your skills, and absorb as much knowledge as possible from every source available. The more you know, the more valuable you become.

ScoreHvac Operations TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $55,914

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.69%

Asian 7.78%

Black or African American 9.59%

Hispanic or Latino 16.33%

Unknown 4.83%

White 60.78%

Gender

female 7.87%

male 92.13%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hvac operations technician

Explore hvac operations technician education requirements

Most common hvac operations technician degrees

Associate

23.5 %

Diploma

17.6 %

High School Diploma

17.6 %

Start to develop specific hvac operations technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Plumbing	16.97%
Ventilation	15.60%
Hot Water	12.41%
Water Systems	10.45%
Air-Conditioning Systems	8.29%

Complete relevant hvac operations technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hvac operations technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hvac operations technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hvac operations technician resumes.

Research hvac operations technician duties and responsibilities

Create methods and tools to effectively manage and troubleshoot complex IP networks.
Estimate new installations of walk in boxes, central a/c's, and remote systems.
Install, repair and maintain rooftop units, VAV boxes, boilers, controls pneumatics and other mechanical equipment.
Perform daily auditing of plant performance by utilizing the facilities build on the building management system (BMS) e.g.

Prepare your hvac operations technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hvac operations technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hvac operations technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hvac operations technician resume templates

Build a professional hvac operations technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hvac operations technician resume.

Apply for hvac operations technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a hvac operations technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do hvac operations technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Hvac operations technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

Different work environment ,people , equipment types . Technology

Cons

None recognition for excellence

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019