Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR): earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 47.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 967 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 698 | 20,997 | $42,278 | $48,148 | $9,500 188 programs |
| Associate's degree | 268 | 2,256 | $48,589 | $58,236 | $14,791 35 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Community and Technical College KY · Public · 32 graduates measured | $64,072 | Data unavailable | $6,500 |
| Century College MN · Public · 28 graduates measured | $63,656 | $70,613 | $11,000 |
| Perry Technical Institute WA · Private, nonprofit · 49 graduates measured | $58,367 | $83,230 | $17,146 |
| Hennepin Technical College MN · Public · 43 graduates measured | $57,081 | $80,039 | $10,500 |
| Emily Griffith Technical College CO · Public · 25 graduates measured | $56,238 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Motoring Technical Training Institute MA · Private, for-profit · 111 graduates measured | $55,863 | $64,367 | $9,500 |
| Northwest HVAC/R Training Center WA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $54,720 | $60,752 | $9,500 |
| Delgado Community College LA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $52,869 | $52,614 | $11,489 |
| Refrigeration School Inc AZ · Private, for-profit · 193 graduates measured | $52,711 | $62,122 | $8,233 |
| Greenville Technical College SC · Public · 18 graduates measured | $52,261 | $55,189 | $12,847 |
| Northwood Technical College WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $52,158 | $69,787 | $7,683 |
| Career College of Northern Nevada · Private, for-profit · 80 graduates measured | $50,974 | $59,306 | $8,971 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College MN · Public · 42 graduates measured | $50,945 | $63,894 | $6,134 |
| Wake Technical Community College NC · Public · 24 graduates measured | $50,607 | $62,956 | $8,847 |
| Institute for Business and Technology CA · Private, for-profit · 403 graduates measured | $50,558 | $57,714 | $8,867 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century College MN · Public · 28 graduates measured | $64,744 | $76,972 | Data unavailable |
| Hennepin Technical College MN · Public · 52 graduates measured | $64,476 | $86,733 | $11,217 |
| Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology OK · Public · 39 graduates measured | $63,206 | $68,072 | $12,000 |
| Minneapolis Community and Technical College MN · Public · 25 graduates measured | $61,590 | $87,786 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 46 graduates measured | $60,504 | $61,925 | $12,000 |
| Dunwoody College of Technology MN · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $58,007 | $75,499 | $12,000 |
| Southeast Community College Area NE · Public · 19 graduates measured | $57,175 | $65,462 | $7,534 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 16 graduates measured | $53,020 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Gwinnett Technical College GA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $52,361 | $59,306 | Data unavailable |
| Monroe Community College NY · Public · 23 graduates measured | $51,784 | $57,305 | Data unavailable |
| Hudson Valley Community College NY · Public · 43 graduates measured | $51,533 | $64,515 | $8,250 |
| Intellitec College-Colorado Springs CO · Private, for-profit · 61 graduates measured | $50,495 | $50,904 | $24,667 |
| Wake Technical Community College NC · Public · 22 graduates measured | $50,166 | $63,100 | Data unavailable |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology PA · Public · 72 graduates measured | $49,867 | $61,610 | $12,000 |
| State Technical College of Missouri MO · Public · 42 graduates measured | $48,967 | $54,641 | $11,640 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $61,010 | +10.9% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 47.0201 Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician