Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician maps to BLS occupations averaging about $64,987, with roughly 1,596,050 workers nationwide in those roles. About 11,688 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $4,338.
Key Statistics
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician: what the data shows
Common questions about heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree?
A Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician program is classified under NCES CIP 47.0201 in the Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) field family (47.02).
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to repair, install, service and maintain the operating condition of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Includes instruction in diagnostic techniques, the use of testing equipment and the principles of mechanics, electricity, and electronics as they relate to the repair of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems
IPEDS counted 23,253 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
How long does it take to get a heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 47.0201 in our file:
- 2,256 Associate (13.8% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 11,688 Bachelor's (71.5% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 2,256 Master's (13.8% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 154 Doctorate (0.9% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance technology/technician?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 47.0201, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,338 and median net price is $9,329.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,338 Median In-State Public
$15,762 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician majors are, on average, $4,338 for in-state public colleges, and $15,762 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
23,253 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 2 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 3 | Miami Dade College | FL | 46,182 |
| 4 | Lone Star College System | TX | 45,188 |
| 5 | Lone Star College System | TX | 45,188 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeast New Mexico College | NM | $1,176 |
| 2 | Clovis Community College | NM | $1,592 |
| 3 | Clovis Community College | NM | $1,592 |
| 4 | Lamar State College-Port Arthur | TX | $1,770 |
| 5 | Lamar State College-Port Arthur | TX | $1,770 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
| 2 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
| 3 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 4 | Southern Regional Technical College | GA | $813 |
| 5 | Radford M Locklin Technical College | FL | $987 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician programs.
Graduation Rates
51.19% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
52.08% Average Graduation Rate
241 Institutions Reporting
37.22% - 67.82% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician programs across institutions.
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 47.0201 in the survey year used in our extract (16,354 total across levels below).
- 2,256 Associate (13.8% of IPEDS total)
- 11,688 Bachelor's (71.5% of IPEDS total)
- 2,256 Master's (13.8% of IPEDS total)
- 154 Doctorate (0.9% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $64,987. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | $36,511 | 1,500,000 |
| Secondary School Teachers | $104,813 | 1,072,540 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$40,621 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician majors is $40,621.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician majors.
Occupations by Share
1,596,050 2023 Workforce
The number of Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician.
Age distribution for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
23,253 Total Degrees Awarded
22,398 Male (96.32%)
855 Female (3.68%)
Gender distribution of Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
9,450 White (40.64%)
5,883 Hispanic or Latino (25.30%)
4,202 Black or African American (18.07%)
599 Two or More Races (2.58%)
596 Asian (2.56%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to repair, install, service and maintain the operating condition of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Includes instruction in diagnostic techniques, the use of testing equipment and the principles of mechanics, electricity, and electronics as they relate to the repair of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems
In 2023, 23,253 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician.
CIP Code
47.0201 - Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician
What the data shows
Men earned 3.7% of 23,253 Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $64,987. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teachers, Postsecondary (1,500,000 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,338 in-state at public colleges and $15,762 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.