What an HVAC technician really does
You listen to what the customer says is wrong, test until you know why, and fix heating and cooling systems people depend on.
FieldSkilled trades
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Medium preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for HVAC technicians, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Start with a schedule of service calls and maintenance visits, then drive between homes and buildings.
- Talk with the customer first to understand what the system is doing wrong.
- Test electrical parts, controls and refrigerant lines to find the fault.
- Repair or replace parts, adjust thermostats and controls, and confirm with the customer that it works.
- Do preventive maintenance: filters, coil cleaning, checks and recommendations.
- Write up work orders with time, parts and cause, and order parts for return visits.
- Work in attics, basements, rooftops and outdoors in all weather.
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- Talking with people is a constant part of the job, starting with the customer on every call. Face-to-Face Discussions: 98% every day; task rank 1 'Discuss system malfunctions with users' importance 85 (O*NET)
- You are on a team even when you work alone in a van. Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team: 77% extremely important (O*NET Work Context)
- Expect dust, dirt and unconditioned spaces daily. Exposed to Contaminants: 68% every day; Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled: 74% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Mistakes can be serious even when the day feels routine. Consequence of Error: 44% extremely serious; Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: 55% extremely important (O*NET Work Context)
- The schedule is more regular than many trades, and open conflict is uncommon. Work Schedules: 89% regular; Duration of Typical Work Week: 83% 40 hours; Conflict Situations: 46% never (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
O*NET places this in Job Zone 3: vocational school, related on the job experience or an associate's degree, usually with one to two years of training and often an apprenticeship. Respondents report some jobs need a high school diploma and others a post secondary certificate. Outside O*NET: in the US, anyone who opens a system and handles refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification, and many states or cities also license HVAC contractors.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial does not simulate hands on work: using gauges and meters on live equipment, brazing, handling refrigerant, wiring controls, lifting equipment, or working on roofs, in hot attics and in tight crawl spaces. It is not instruction for servicing equipment. It cannot show the heat and cold or the physical strain. You act as an apprentice technician whose work is checked by a lead technician, and all readings, equipment and people are fictional.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 49-9021.00. 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.