HVAC Technician
B-10B Other Construction electrical jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 49-9021.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $57,760
- work over
40 h a week - 17%
- load index
from O*NET data - 3.2/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +13.0%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: all Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049902113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 34,730 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049902101).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049902113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 34,730 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049902101).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +13.0% jobs · about 3,350 openings a year (33,120 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- +8.1% jobs · about 40,100 openings a year (425,200 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 16 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 16 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 89% · irregular 11% · seasonal 0%
Physical load 3.2 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.84, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.45, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.84, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.45, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.68
- Bending or twisting3.45
- Climbing ladders2.87
- Keeping balance2.81
- Walking or running2.45
- Kneeling or crawling1.75
Exposure
- Outdoors, all weather4.27
- Hazardous equipment3.82
- Very hot or cold3.44
- Hazardous conditions3.39
- High places3.38
- Protective gear3.2
- Cramped space2.68
Getting in
- License
- 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.
- Degree
- 0% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years of related experience is the most common answer (39% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 3 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior). Texas: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician registration (TDLR) (Required for anyone who assists a licensed A/C contractor with maintenance or repair).
Moves to the side 6
- B Plumber O*NET lists Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89. License gate: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE).
- I Instrumentation Technician O*NET lists Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86. License: depends on the work.
- R Stationary Engineer O*NET lists Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.74. License gate: not checked yet.
- E Solar Thermal Installer O*NET lists Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86. License: depends on the work.
What the work is 6 core tasks
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
- Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
- Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.
- Schedule work with customers and initiate work orders, house requisitions, and orders from stock.
- Estimate, order, pick up, deliver, and install materials and supplies needed to maintain equipment in good working condition.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Troubleshooting
- Critical Thinking
- Repairing
- Equipment Maintenance
- Installation
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000049902113, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 49-9021.00 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
