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The differences between hvac-r technicians and preventive maintenance 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 a preventive maintenance technician. Additionally, a hvac-r technician has an average salary of $53,354, which is higher than the $40,935 average annual salary of a preventive maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a hvac-r technician include HVAC/R, ventilation and plumbing. The most important skills for a preventive maintenance technician are customer service, hand tools, and HVAC.
| Hvac-R Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,354 | $40,935 |
| Hourly rate | $25.65 | $19.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 85,555 | 170,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.
Hvac-r technicians and preventive maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hvac-R Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,354 | $40,935 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $79,000 | Between $31,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lynnwood, WA | Owatonna, MN |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Better | Kiewit |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a hvac-r technician and a preventive maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Hvac-R Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | Dunwoody College of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between hvac-r technicians' and preventive maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Hvac-R Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.4% Female, 2.6% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |