Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.

Also called: HVAC Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanic), HVAC Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician), Refrigeration Mechanic, Refrigeration Technician (Refrigeration Tech), AC Mechanic (Air Conditioner Mechanic), AC Tech (Air Conditioning Technician), HVAC Control Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Control Technician), HVAC Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Installer).

O*NET 49-9021.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $61,010; Middle half earn $48,360 to $77,060. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +8% · Much faster than average; 425,200 jobs in 2024, projected 459,700. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Install, connect, or adjust thermostats, humidistats, or timers.
Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.6 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.3 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Active Learning3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Building and Construction4.5 / 5
Customer and Personal Service4.4 / 5
Mechanical4.3 / 5
Administration and Management3.9 / 5
Education and Training3.9 / 5
Mathematics3.9 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic99
Investigative30
Artistic1
Social8
Enterprising3
Conventional55

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration engineering technician · DE Anlagenmechaniker Sanitär-, Heizungs- und Klimatechnik/Anlagenmechanikerin Sanitär-, Heizungs- und Klimatechnik · FR technicien en génie climatique/technicienne en génie climatique

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers (5225)11,500 employed
Carpenters and joiners (5316)175,400 employed
Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.85. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-9021).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test