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2:00Careers & Trades
Trades That Pay Six Figures
Jemal King
Trade pathway
HVAC Technician
Install and service heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
Typical salary range
$48K – $88K
Median $62,000
Entry $48KExperienced $88K
- Time to qualify
- 1–3 years
- Education
- Certificate
- Outlook
- Moderate (6% growth)
- Remote
- On site
A typical day
What the work actually looks like between nine and five
A representative day combines hands-on work, coordination with a team, documentation, and problem-solving against a deadline.
The pathway
What the route actually looks like, stage by stage
- 1
Learn the fundamentals
Coursework, certificate or the first stage of an apprenticeship.
≈ 6 months
- 2
Get credentialed
Pass the license or certification the role requires.
≈ 6 months
- 3
Work and specialize
Build hours, take the harder jobs, pick a specialty.
≈ 2 years
- 4
Lead or own
Move into supervision, or take the ownership route.
≈ 3 years
Skills that matter
- Refrigeration cycles
- Electrical diagnostics
- Airflow
- EPA handling
- Customer service
Credentials
- EPA 608
- NATE
Apprenticeship route available — you earn while you train.
The path to ownership
Where this leads if you want to run it yourself
Technician → lead → service manager → owning a service company.
Explore training
Where to start, and where the openings are listed
- Education, training and licensing profileO*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor)Training · opens in a new tab
- Section 608 technician certificationU.S. EPATraining · opens in a new tab
- Find local training programsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)Training · opens in a new tab
- Registered apprenticeship openingsApprenticeship.govOpenings · opens in a new tab
- Search current job listingsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)Openings · opens in a new tab
Occupation profile at U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (illustrative)
Hear from someone doing it
Clips tagged with this pathway
Demo footage: these clips were recorded for this build, not sourced from a broadcaster.
