Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 49-9021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 1.9%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $61,010
- H-1B offered wage $80,600; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 42,800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +8.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 1
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 55,788 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
Common titles: A/C Tech (Air Conditioning Technician), HVAC Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Installer), HVAC Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanic), HVAC Service Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Service Technician), HVAC Specialist (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Specialist), HVAC Tech (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician)
Representative Tasks
- •Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- •Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
- •Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.
- •Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
- •Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Test electrical circuits or components for proper functioning.
- •Determine operational compliance with regulations or standards.
- •Interpret blueprints, specifications, or diagrams to inform installation, development or operation activities.
- •Confer with customers or users to assess problems.
- •Install heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 24% Bright |
| Median Salary | $61,010 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 98/100 | N/A |