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Hvac-r technician vs ac technician

The differences between hvac-r technicians and ac 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-r technician and an ac technician. Additionally, a hvac-r technician has an average salary of $53,354, which is higher than the $49,910 average annual salary of an ac technician.

The top three skills for a hvac-r technician include HVAC/R, ventilation and plumbing. The most important skills for an ac technician are HVAC, safety procedures, and preventive maintenance.

Hvac-r technician vs ac technician overview

Hvac-R TechnicianAC Technician
Yearly salary$53,354$49,910
Hourly rate$25.65$24.00
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs85,555101,978
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 35%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

Hvac-r technician vs ac technician salary

Hvac-r technicians and ac technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Hvac-R TechnicianAC Technician
Average salary$53,354$49,910
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $79,000Between $33,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CityLynnwood, WA-
Highest paying stateWashington-
Best paying companyBetter-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between hvac-r technician and ac technician education

There are a few differences between a hvac-r technician and an ac technician in terms of educational background:

Hvac-R TechnicianAC Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 35%
Most common majorHeating And Air ConditioningHeating And Air Conditioning
Most common collegeDunwoody College of TechnologyDunwoody College of Technology

Hvac-r technician vs ac technician demographics

Here are the differences between hvac-r technicians' and ac technicians' demographics:

Hvac-R TechnicianAC Technician
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 97.4% Female, 2.6%Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 25.1% Asian, 2.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between hvac-r technician and ac technician duties and responsibilities

Hvac-r technician example responsibilities.

  • Perform preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance and installation of refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation and plumbing applications.
  • Install, maintain, and repair package units, split systems, boilers and other mechanical equipment.
  • Install, repair, and maintain light commercial rooftop units, boilers, controls, and other mechanical equipment.
  • Maintain all ventilation systems including preventative maintenance tasks and rebuilding of equipment when need.
  • Perform repairs and installation on HVAC/R equipment and commercial kitchen equipment for residential and commercial customers.
  • Perform maintenance and repair of HVAC/R equipment for commercial and residential applications including commercial refrigeration equipment.
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Ac technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, maintain, and repair HVAC/R equipment and associate control systems.
  • Air conditioning technicians are responsible for installing, maintaining and repairing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
  • Repair and service HVAC/R and relate equipment.
  • Assist A/C technicians, check freon level and add freon as needed.
  • Replace compressors, thermal expansion valves, copper line sets, evaporators and condenser coils.
  • Utilize various tools such as nitrogen and acetylene tanks for brazing integral components of the units.
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Hvac-r technician vs ac technician skills

Common hvac-r technician skills
  • HVAC/R, 11%
  • Ventilation, 8%
  • Plumbing, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Ladders, 5%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
Common ac technician skills
  • HVAC, 18%
  • Safety Procedures, 10%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 9%
  • Plumbing, 8%
  • Service Calls, 6%
  • Air-Conditioning Systems, 5%

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