HVACR Technician Career
HVACR Technician Career
The Real Poop
Wouldn't it be cool to have a job that's really hot? Or is it hot to have a really cool job? Either way, you're in a good place if you're a Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration technician (HVACR). When it's one hundred degrees outside and the A/C goes out, guess who's the most popular guy or gal in town? That's right—the HVACR technician.
HVACR technicians work in all kinds of situations and meet lots of different people. Many work as contractors and install new systems for business developments and renovations. HVACR techs need to know how to read blueprints, work with water, gas, and/or electrical lines, and understand the mechanics of heating and cooling systems, as well as large industrial chillers and freezers.
Early in their careers, HVACR techs mainly repair existing systems in homes and businesses. If you want to feel appreciated, just get the thermostat cooking again when someone's house feels more like an igloo. Not only will they get a nice, warm home again, you'll get a nice warm spot in their hearts.
The average HVACR tech's salary is in the mid-$40,000 range, but that doesn't include overtime pay (source). If you're working on a big repair at a grocery store or restaurant, you don't just leave at 4:30PM and wish them good luck until the next day—nope, you stay until the job is done. Extreme temperature needs demand action, and HVACR techs make it all better, no matter how long their workday might last.
There are several routes to becoming an HVACR technician: studying for a certificate, getting an Associate's Degree at a community college, or doing a mixture of apprentice work and college courses. Some even get four-year degrees in Contracting or Building Environmental Studies. Some technical high schools offer an HVAC program allowing students to earn college credit—for free—while still in high school. How cool is that? (Pun totally intended.)
On the job, an HVAC tech can find him or herself working almost anywhere and everywhere during a workday. You might start off in the morning with an appointment to do an air quality check at a business, take a service call at a restaurant to check out why their walk-in cooler just isn't feeling it today, then grab a quick lunch.
After lunch, you might stop by to check in on a long-time customer running a pharmacy and give them the news that their small industrial heating and cooling system will be heading to a better place soon. All in a day's work for an HVACR technician.
As you might've guessed, there are plenty of jobs for HVACR technicians, so there's no need to worry about being outsourced. Whether you're working mostly as an indoor air quality specialist or repairing leaking or malfunctioning equipment, the HVACR field is on fire (source).
While there's really not much time for an HVACR technician to get bored, the job can be hard. You're working outside in harsh weather conditions and sometimes dealing with grumpy business owners who just want the thing fixed yesterday.
That's okay. You won't let those customers get your tool belt in a bunch or rush you through the repairs. Rushing too much leads to mistakes, and you don't want to mix up the electrical wires. We all enjoy fireworks...but let's not make our own.