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The differences between refrigeration technicians and hvac-r 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 refrigeration technician and a hvac-r technician. Additionally, a hvac-r technician has an average salary of $53,354, which is higher than the $50,701 average annual salary of a refrigeration technician.
The top three skills for a refrigeration technician include preventative maintenance, hand tools and ladders. The most important skills for a hvac-r technician are HVAC/R, ventilation, and plumbing.
| Refrigeration Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,701 | $53,354 |
| Hourly rate | $24.38 | $25.65 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 131,115 | 85,555 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A refrigeration technician is responsible for managing refrigeration and cooling systems for private households and commercial establishments. Refrigeration technicians install refrigeration components, requiring them to have an excellent analysis of blueprints and schematics. They inspect the system components and inform the household owners and management for preventive maintenance and troubleshooting for minor defects and inconsistencies, as well as calculating costs and materials for repairs. A refrigeration technician must be well-equipped with mechanical knowledge to identify failures and upgrade units as necessary.
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.
Refrigeration technicians and hvac-r technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Refrigeration Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,701 | $53,354 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $75,000 | Between $35,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Lynnwood, WA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Better |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a refrigeration technician and a hvac-r technician in terms of educational background:
| Refrigeration Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | - | Dunwoody College of Technology |
Here are the differences between refrigeration technicians' and hvac-r technicians' demographics:
| Refrigeration Technician | Hvac-R Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8% | Male, 97.4% Female, 2.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 2.5% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |