Compare A Lighting Technician ↔ B HVAC Technician

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Your route

2 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: electrical Apprentice: All Electricians (47-2111) at every experience level, the occupation apprentices are counted in (SOC Classification Principle 7). Mostly journeyman-level workers, so it is not apprentice pay and is never subtracted.

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 2, to HVAC Technician: 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.

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Lighting Technician to Electrical Apprentice
- O*NET lists Helpers--Electricians as a related occupation (Primary-Long).
- Gates: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Electrical Apprentice to HVAC Technician
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- Gates: 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.

Side by side

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

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

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

Gates on the route: Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license; HVAC Technician: 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.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +2.2% Texas, 20 openings a year

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

Degree

A Degree data UNAVAILABLE in O*NET.

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

License

A 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).

B 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.

Experience

A Experience data UNAVAILABLE in O*NET.

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

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 0

To build: 0

Make this your goal

Save Lighting Technician to HVAC 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.