Are you planning on going to a San Antonio HVAC school? If you are, then you have made a smart choice for yourself. It is a great career choice and one that the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects to develop faster than normal. Hence, you need to get started by going to the best school.
Requirements to Be an HVAC Technician in San Antonio
There are two license options available to people seeking an HVAC technician career path. These are Class A and Class B. The Texas HVAC Class A license lets you work on a machine of any size. The Class B Texas HVAC license requires you to work cooling systems of 25 tons or below that, and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs/hour and below.
The state of Texas will need you to have a license from an air conditioning and refrigeration contractor to operate legally in the state. There is also a minimum age requirement that requires you to be at least 18 years old and operate for at least 48 months under a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor.
You’ll also need to pass Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) Contractors Certificate Exam to prove your skills. Pre-approval to sit for the examination is required according to the eligibility criteria listed above. Also, call PSI at 1-800-733-9267 once you have been accepted to schedule your test.
Texas has a mutual licensing arrangement with Georgia and South Carolina, ensuring that if you are already certified and in good standing in one of those states, you do not need to sit for the Texas exam.
Salary and Job Outlook in San Antonio
The career of HVAC technicians has an outstanding projected prospect for development in the future. There is anticipated growth in both work availability and demand. HVAC is expected to see job growth jumping to nearly 30 percent. With more and more HVAC positions available each year, there’s no better time to get your certifications than the present.
The average income is projected to rise in addition to the employer’s demand for skilled workers according to current projections. HVAC technicians offer an invaluable service by installing and repairing the heating, refrigeration, and cooling systems that people rely on in their daily lives. They enjoy a decent salary as a result and earn steady work throughout the year without significant fluctuations.
HVAC technicians, on average, receive an annual salary of $41,000. This salary may be higher or lower than the average, depending on the venue, skill level, specialization, demand, and education of a certain technician.
Entry-level salaries within the state of Texas may vary from area to area, depending on varying factors. In San Antonio, the average starting salary is about $37,730.
List of the Top HVAC Schools in San Antonio
Now that we know the prospects of an HVAC technician, we need to know how to become one, so we can reap the benefits. You first need to go to a good school to get your skills, and for that, we have shortlisted the top schools for you.
Jon Wayne Academy
Our Review of the Program
The primary training program will educate the student about what they need to learn in order to be a professional installation technician at the entrance level. They also offer different modules, so you don’t need to relearn unnecessary stuff.
A graduate then will have the skills to evolve into a service technician, handling service calls by himself in 2 years’ time with the right attitude. It all relies on your mindset and learning. You can also obtain other certifications that will also help you progress quicker and earn higher pay.
Jon Wayne Academy’s programs are suitable for people from various different backgrounds. This can be perfect for those who are just graduating from high school and want to start off immediately on a new career path. It is useful for those who may still be employed by an HVAC contractor or a construction company and for those who just want to know more about the HVAC industry.
This training also helps those who deal with large buildings, where routine maintenance of HVAC equipment is required, like apartment complexes. The program further serves college students, who only want to know how heating and air conditioning functions.
Southern Careers Institute
Our Review of the Program
The Southern Careers Institute helps you learn how to mount, operate, replace, and fix residential and commercial property temperature control equipment. This also teaches you HVAC systems troubleshooting, EP regulatory specifications, definitions of building drawing, renewable technology, and much more.
The HVAC program offered Southern Careers Institute trains you for a career in commercial as well as residential HVAC services. It is designed in such a way that you have the versatility to take your new career in any direction you desire. You will have the chance to take classes on home and business installation, maintenance, and repair temperature control devices, and you will learn about green technologies and current rules and regulations.
With versatile and in-depth training sessions, you will be able to advance your knowledge and get a detailed idea about the HVAC systems. This program will provide you with the ideal foundation to launch your career.
It also prepares you for the possible qualification for HVAC, EPA, Green, R410A, Indoor Air Quality Certificates, and more when the program is complete. With this course, you can easily prepare yourself for a career as a contractor, with HVAC firms or with industrial cooling or as a small business owner.
Lamson Institute
Our Review of the Program
HVAC needs competent and knowledgeable technicians; Lamson’s curriculum offers much more than an overview of HVAC’s technology. It offers you an immersive educational experience with hands-on, practical experiences in the school. It introduces you to electrical theory and controls in real-life scenarios along with simple plumbing. In addition, using oxy-acetylene torches, you’ll learn how to weld and solder.
The program will provide you with the expertise and skills needed to install, maintain, and fix domestic climate control, warming, and cooling systems, industrial air conditioning, heating, and cooling systems. In addition, you will learn how to maintain EPA guidelines when configuring and fixing household and industrial appliances.
Also, Lamson helps you to get certificates recognized by the industry. Graduates from Lamson are trained to turn up and achieve ESCO EPA certificates, HVAC Excellence, 410A, and OSHA successfully.
This HVAC training program’s graduates are eligible to become professional air conditioning and heating specialists, construction sites and electrical contractors, IT centers, private businesses, etc. You can further also choose to open your own firm.
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute
Our Review of the Program
Would you want to work with your hands, to fix items and solve problems? South Texas Vocational Technical Institute’s ACHR development program will help you transform those preferences into a job at STVT.
You will learn hands-on from market-experienced teachers who have served in this fascinating area through HVAC technician training. STVT will show you the qualities that companies are looking for from HVAC technicians.
The diploma program Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) is structured to train students for a career both in residential and commercial repair and maintenance. Classes incorporate theory along with the realistic implementation of hands-on skills, including the use of hand and specialized devices, shop safety protocols, and customer support capabilities.
Students also train according to certain departments and their duties. These departments may include installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, and customer service.
Students may also train to fix, manage, and restore residential and commercial air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration systems as part of their HVAC preparation. The ACHR graduate may qualify as a contractor, repairer, or service technician, either as a vendor or as a full-time employee for admission-level jobs.
St. Philip’s College
Our Review of the Program
At St. Philip’s College, it is believed that a skilled teacher can train a skilled student. Hence, an Applied Science Associate Degree Instructor will prepare the student for a career in the commercial and industrial refrigeration field. Students get an in-depth learning experience on how to manage and operate commercial and industrial cooling systems.
They will give you the experience and skills required to mount, manage, and fix residential air conditioning, heating, and cooling systems, industrial air conditioning, heating, and cooling. Furthermore, when configuring and repairing household and industrial equipment, you learn how to enforce EPA guidelines.
This also prepares you for future credentials for HVAC, EPA, Green, R410A, Certificates of Indoor Air Quality, and more when the curriculum is complete.
Students also train in different divisions and their roles through the duration of the program. Such divisions can include customer care, deployment, repair, and troubleshooting.
Upon graduation, students will be able to secure entry-level Servicing Technician Commercial and Industrial Cooling Systems jobs. The program further prepares students for a career path in the commercial air conditioning and refrigeration industry.
Conclusion
Considering the volume of HVAC workers on the rise and engineering jobs in Texas paying well above the national average, there will never be a better time to get certified. You can obtain better-paying jobs by getting certified just by putting a little bit of time, energy, and effort into your career.