HVACR Career Information

If you’re looking for a role where you can advance your duties and skill set, where you get to work with your hands every day, and where you’re able to solve complex problems, an HVAC career might be for you. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Often, refrigeration gets included, too. HVACR technicians work on installing, repairing and maintaining these systems.

Each day as an HVACR technician can bring new challenges and accomplishments. Learn what an HVACR career is like to see if it’s something you might be interested in.

What Does a Career in HVAC Look Like?

Entry-level HVACR technicians typically get postsecondary training or obtain an apprenticeship to learn the skills needed to succeed on the job. When they start their careers, HVACR techs may work on installing, repairing and maintaining heating, air-conditioning, refrigeration and ventilation systems. They might specialize in one area, like commercial refrigeration, or go out to a variety of homes and businesses each day to work on all types of systems.

HVACR technicians may also specialize in areas like solar panels, testing and balancing, radiant heating systems and other areas. As they gain experience in the field, some HVACR technicians move up the ladder into management or leadership positions. Others pursue other types of work in the industry, like HVACR engineering. Some HVACR technicians open up their own businesses as entrepreneurs.

With a foundation in HVACR training, you can pursue entry-level roles and prepare to test for HVACR certification that can help you advance your career. From owning your own business to managing projects and teams of HVACR technicians, there are a variety of career pathways you can pursue in the HVACR industry.¹

Skills You Need to Pursue a Successful HVAC Career

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most HVACR employers prefer hiring technicians who have some sort of training, whether it’s through HVACR school or through an apprenticeship. That’s because HVACR systems are constantly evolving, so learning in a safe and supervised environment gets new HVACR technicians up to speed on the technology.

Some of the hard and soft skills an HVACR technician may need to be successful include:

• Knowledge of schematics use and interpretation, piping and fitting, air handling and hydronics, AC and DC circuits and components, sheet metal ductwork, vent system selection and installation, and mechanical and electronic controls troubleshooting
• Customer service skills, since technicians need to communicate issues to clients and update them on repairs
• Record-keeping skills, as HVACR technicians must keep detailed records of their work
• Physical strength and stamina, since HVACR technicians are frequently moving and may need to support and lift heavy equipment
• Problem-solving skills, as HVACR technicians must troubleshoot systems to identify causes of malfunctioning

A passion for working with your hands and for finding solutions to challenges can also benefit you as an HVACR technician.

HVACR Certified Technician Program

For many HVACR technicians, there’s a legal requirement to obtain certification in order to work with certain types of materials. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency requires that any technicians who repair, service, maintain or dispose of equipment that may release refrigerants into the atmosphere must become certified with the Section 608 Technician Certification.

When you take our HVACR technician training program, which is coming to UTI, you’ll be prepared to test for the Section 608 Technician Certification, as well as for the following certifications:

• North American Technician Excellence (NATE) Core exams, which demonstrate HVACR competency
• R-410A certification, which demonstrates a technician is qualified to handle Refrigerant 410A
• OSHA 10-Hour Training, which covers general construction safety and competency

Students in our HVACR certified technician programs also take courses that help develop their HVACR hard and soft skills, including courses on basic electricity and motors, refrigeration fundamentals, heating systems, commercial refrigeration and indoor air fundamentals. You can complete the training in less than a year.