HVAC technicians are always in demand as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning need proper care.
Whether you are interested in installing HVAC equipment or repairing related appliances, you need adequate skills. And what better way to learn these skills than to study about them in classrooms and practice in well-equipped labs?
So, read on to find about the best HVAC schools in Austin, Texas, to polish your skills.
Requirements to Be an HVAC Technician in Austin, TX
Becoming an HVAC technician in Austin does not take a lot. But, there are some basic requirements that you have to fulfill to gain a license. Here are the basic criteria that you need to meet to land a reliable HVAC job.
Age
You need to be eighteen years or older to apply for an HVAC technician job. Since it involves dealing with heavy equipment, you need to be old enough to deal with it.
Registration
In order to register as an ACR technician, you do not have to take any exams. But, you will not be able to enroll in any major projects by registering as an ACR technician only.
Work Experience
Work experience is vital in terms of proving your reliability to contractors. To be an HVAC technician in Austin, you need work experience of four years under a registered HVAC expert. Only the experience from the last six years will count here.
Licensing
You need to determine which kind of license you want. There are two types of licenses termed as Class A license and Class B license. The former lets you work with cooling systems below 25 tons and under 1.5 million BTUs/hour heating units. But there are no size limitations in case of the Class A license.
Examination
Lastly, you have to take an exam based on the kind of license that you have opted for. At least 70% of your answers should be correct to pass this exam.
Salary and Job Outlook in Austin, TX
Austin has promising job prospects for HVAC technicians considering the salary and job outlook there. We have briefed these details here to give you a better idea of the job outlook and salary details.
Mean Salary
The mean salary for HVAC technicians in Austin is $44,500. There is a greater salary value with an increase in your work experience and improvement of skills.
Job Trends
There is going to be a 30% increase in the employment of HVAC technicians in the capital city of Texas. More construction for both residential and commercial units is expected, so there will be more job opportunities in the near future.
List of the Top HVAC Schools in Austin, TX
Austin, being a major city of Texas, has some highly competitive HVAC schools. They offer some of the best courses and programs to enhance your knowledge and practical skills. So, let’s have a look at top schools and the courses they offer to see which one suits you best.
Austin Community College
Contact Info
Address: 1218 West Ave, Austin, TX 78701, United States
Phone: +1 512-223-4222
List of Programs
Refrigeration Principles
Basic Electricity for HVAC
EPA Recovery Certification
Introduction to Construction Industry
Internship – Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, and Refrigeration Maintenance
Our Review of the Program
This HVAC technician course by Austin Community College is a great option for those who want to learn all the right skills. It expands over a duration of 16-20 weeks, with each week requiring coursework of 10.5-13.5 hours. There is an even distribution of classroom learning and lab work throughout the course.
We found its training requirements to be a better match for modern HVAC industry requirements. They include construction maths, construction drawings, and power tools. Moreover, there is a hand-on practice of electrical circuits and other test equipment. This enables the trainees to get a better idea of what they have to deal with in the field. This also prepares them for upcoming challenges, so there is a better success rate.
In addition, this program has an extensive refrigeration principles course. It extends to the much-needed understanding of the temperature-pressure relationship. There is a primary focus on refrigerant handling, as it is one of the trickiest components of air conditioning.
The students get to work on repairing tasks as well, which helps them understand the complexity of HVAC equipment. The program ends with the EPA examination, which helps the graduates in getting a license promptly.
Skillpoint Alliance
Contact Info
Address: 8868 Research Blvd, Suite 505 Austin TX 78758
Phone: (512) 323-6773
List of Programs
HVAC Technician Level 1
Our Review of the Program
We have found this program to be quite comprehensive in terms of its course outline. There is due focus on the fundamentals like construction math, job safety, and tool safety. This enables trainees to be prepared to deal with the equipment safely, minimizing any risk of accidents.
Moreover, this program has an instructional part on diagnosing malfunctions and air duct systems. This way, the students learn about the possible issues that they can expect in any system that they need to repair. This prior information can help save both time and effort when the trainees are out in the real world.
This program also includes the Environmental Protection Agency 608 Universal exam, which helps in dealing with green technologies. This can come in handy when applying for contracts that involve green construction strategies.
So, this is an amazing course with a high success rate as the graduates find their way to highly reputed companies.
Austin Career Institute
Contact Info
Address: 8711 Burnet Rd. Suite H-98, Austin, TX 78757
Phone: 512.371.0100
List of Programs
Residential Heating and Air Conditioning Program
Residential and Commercial HVAC and Commercial Refrigeration
Our Review of the Program
We like both the programs offered by Austin Career Institute. The Residential and Commercial HVAC and Commercial Refrigeration program has a duration of nine months.
This 720-hours-long certification program enables the students to gain knowledge about the basics of HVAC. It enables them to deal with tasks on their own, but they still need supervision for trickier work. The graduates can land the job of a residential as well as a commercial HVAC refrigeration technician.
While most other programs that are under one year do not expose students to refrigerant handling, this program does. And this is why graduates get to be better at dealing with refrigerants. Furthermore, there is a major emphasis on the maintenance of heating and air conditioning equipment. It makes the students skilled in doing all kinds of major and minor repairs.
This program enables the students to be able to take the Texas Department of Licensing (TDLR) test as well. This, along with the preparation for EPA, makes sure that the graduates get to have higher chances of getting their license.
Southern Careers Institute
Contact Info
Address: 1701 W Ben White Blvd. Suite 100. Austin, TX 78704
Phone: 1.833.SCI.TEXAS
List of Programs
HVAC Training Program
Our Review of the Program
The HVAC Training Program by Southern Careers Institute makes it to our list due to its comprehensive design. It has been put together to make learning the complexities of HVAC work easier for students.
The best thing about this program is that there is an equal amount of focus on both residential and commercial HVAC needs. This lets the students explore both sides of the HVAC industry. So, they can find out which dimension suits their preferences more. This brings a diversity of expertise in the students as well since they get to be prepared for both lines of work.
In the early stages of the program, the students learn about the installation and maintenance of the basic temperature control equipment. Then they gradually move on to troubleshooting complex HVAC systems. This program also lets the students deal with green technologies. This is why the graduates know their way through even the latest technology on the market.
To add to all this, there is an in-depth study of indoor air quality equipment. So, there is a high proportion of experts in refrigerant handling by the time this program ends. There is preparation for the EPA examination as well, so you will not need to take any additional courses when you apply for a license.
Altierus Career College
Contact Info
Address: 9100 US Hwy 290 E, building 1 Ste 100, Austin, TX 78724, United States
Phone: +1 512-928-1933
List of Programs
HVAC Technician
HVAC Refrigeration Technician
Our Review of the Program
This program catches our eye with its distribution of classroom and lab hours. The students have to take 380 classroom hours and 340 lab hours. This makes sure that they are as good at handling all the equipment practically as they are in reading about it.
The program is accredited by ESCO Group, which ensures that the course meets the needs of the HVAC industry. The program takes nine months with three sessions per week. There is virtual coursework in addition to the class sessions as well. There is an additional three-month training if the students want to train in refrigerant handling too.
Furthermore, it includes ten hour-long basic safety orientation. It gives the students an insight into the complications that they can experience. It also helps them understand how to deal with the HVAC tools without risking their or the equipment’s safety.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, you have to get the right training to make your portfolio more credible. And a certification from a registered school can help you in this regard. So, consider the programs and schools we have reviewed here to improve your chances of getting employed.
People Also Ask
Well, HVAC technicians face fierce competition in the market, so people are concerned about their chances. This is why they come up with many queries. And, we have answered some of the most commonly asked questions to clear your confusions.
HVAC schools in Texas cost around $1,200 to $15,000 for six to twelve months-long programs. But for two-year courses, the cost per year is $8,614. Schools have different tuition fees based on the kind of equipment they have in labs.
HVAC techs get quite handsome salary packages all over the United States. But, the most highly paid techs are in Alaska. Florida and Texas pay the techs quite high salaries too.
Yes, most of the states demand a local license from aspiring HVAC workers. In addition to the license, your work experience also helps you get better work opportunities as an HVAC expert.
