Compare A HVAC Technician ↔ B Lighting Technician

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · -$4,610 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Appliance Service Technician: license depends on the work (Repairing existing appliances for a dealer or maker: no Texas electrician or plumbing license (exempt). Refrigerant work needs federal EPA 608; installing appliances needs TDLR Residential Appliance Installer).
Move 2, to Lighting Technician: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
HVAC Technician to Appliance Service Technician -$9,130 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Home Appliance Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.71.
- Gates: license depends on the work (Repairing existing appliances for a dealer or maker: no Texas electrician or plumbing license (exempt). Refrigerant work needs federal EPA 608; installing appliances needs TDLR Residential Appliance Installer).
- Skills to build: Quality Control Analysis, Repairing, Speaking
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Appliance Service Technician to Lighting Technician +$4,520 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Lighting Technicians as a related occupation (Supplemental) (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Side by side

All Lighting Technicians: Texas median $53,150, $4,610 less a year than all Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers ($57,760), every experience level.

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$57,760-$4,610$53,150

Gates on the route: Appliance Service Technician: license depends on the work (Repairing existing appliances for a dealer or maker: no Texas electrician or plumbing license (exempt). Refrigerant work needs federal EPA 608; installing appliances needs TDLR Residential Appliance Installer).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +13.0% Texas, 3,350 openings a year

B +2.2% Texas, 20 openings a year

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).

B Degree data UNAVAILABLE in O*NET.

License

A Texas: TDLR A/C Technician registration ($20, age 16+) to work under a licensed A/C contractor; contractor license after 48 months. Federal EPA 608 certification to handle refrigerant.

B No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 39%).

B Experience data UNAVAILABLE in O*NET.

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 0

To build: 0

Make this your goal

Save HVAC Technician to Lighting Technician as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next. Free with an account.