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Hvac specialist vs lead hvac technician

The differences between hvac specialists and lead hvac 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 specialist and a lead hvac technician. Additionally, a lead hvac technician has an average salary of $51,139, which is higher than the $50,358 average annual salary of a hvac specialist.

The top three skills for a hvac specialist include ventilation, plumbing and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a lead hvac technician are ventilation, plumbing, and preventive maintenance.

Hvac specialist vs lead hvac technician overview

Hvac SpecialistLead Hvac Technician
Yearly salary$50,358$51,139
Hourly rate$24.21$24.59
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs14,29964,060
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 30%Associate Degree, 33%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

Hvac specialist vs lead hvac technician salary

Hvac specialists and lead hvac technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Hvac SpecialistLead Hvac Technician
Average salary$50,358$51,139
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $70,000Between $34,000 And $74,000
Highest paying CityWest Sacramento, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyJacobs Engineering GroupCarrier
Best paying industryConstructionHealth Care

Differences between hvac specialist and lead hvac technician education

There are a few differences between a hvac specialist and a lead hvac technician in terms of educational background:

Hvac SpecialistLead Hvac Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 30%Associate Degree, 33%
Most common majorHeating And Air ConditioningHeating And Air Conditioning
Most common collegeDunwoody College of TechnologyDunwoody College of Technology

Hvac specialist vs lead hvac technician demographics

Here are the differences between hvac specialists' and lead hvac technicians' demographics:

Hvac SpecialistLead Hvac Technician
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 95.2% Female, 4.8%Male, 98.2% Female, 1.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.5% Asian, 2.5% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between hvac specialist and lead hvac technician duties and responsibilities

Hvac specialist example responsibilities.

  • Meet all state requirements and manage annual inspections regarding mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire and elevator systems.
  • Install 2 to 10 ton Rheem, Ruud and Bryan condensers.
  • Develop experience with DDC controls.
  • Perform light plumbing duties such as cleaning stoppages, replace fittings and change water heater elements.
  • Repair and maintain air conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems where regulate temperatures are a necessity.
  • Trouble shoot heating, ventilation and air conditioning, motor, pump and compressor, and compressor problems in buildings.
  • Show more

Lead hvac technician example responsibilities.

  • Make sure that the department is complying with OSHA and EPA guidelines.
  • Research and recommend changes in water treatment to reduce replacement of parts in humidifiers.
  • Work with mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors to gather quotes for repairs and capital projects.
  • Repair, installation, maintenance of HVAC, and plumbing equipment as well as customer service.
  • Repair and replace light fixtures, dimmer switches, outlets, ceiling fans and outlets and fixtures.
  • Supervise install helpers and install heating air conditioning and ventilation.
  • Show more

Hvac specialist vs lead hvac technician skills

Common hvac specialist skills
  • Ventilation, 12%
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • Troubleshoot, 9%
  • Control Systems, 8%
  • Exhaust Fans, 6%
  • Cooling Towers, 5%
Common lead hvac technician skills
  • Ventilation, 49%
  • Plumbing, 3%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 3%
  • Heat Pumps, 3%
  • Routine Maintenance, 3%
  • Safety Procedures, 3%

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