HVAC/R Technician (online)
California State University San Marcos Extended Learning · San Marcos, CA
- Cost
- $3,185
- Length
- 48 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 67%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 34
- Finished the program
- 81%Based on 26 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 67%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
No regional figures for this program's city
San Marcos is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Job ads may call this: Refrigeration Mechanic · Refrigeration Operator · Service Technician (Service Tech) · A/C Tech (Air Conditioning Technician)
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- 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.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
- Adjust system controls to settings recommended by manufacturer to balance system.
- Recommend, develop, or perform preventive or general maintenance procedures, such as cleaning, power-washing, or vacuuming equipment, oiling parts, or changing filters.
- Inspect and test systems to verify system compliance with plans and specifications or to detect and locate malfunctions.
- Typical pay in California
- $74,612per year
- Projected openings
- 37,750
- Projected change
- +12.8%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- More than a year
New hires are trained on the job for more than a year after they start. The classroom part is the beginning of this work, not the whole of it.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: High school diploma — 41% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 10%
- High school diploma
- 41%
- Started college, no degree
- 29%
- Two-year degree
- 14%
- Four-year degree
- 6%
- Master's degree
- 0.9%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.2%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Maintenance Man · Building Mechanic · Maintenance Worker · Maintenance Engineer
- Perform routine maintenance, such as inspecting drives, motors, or belts, checking fluid levels, replacing filters, or doing other preventive maintenance actions.
- Inspect, operate, or test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunctions.
- Adjust functional parts of devices or control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges.
- Repair machines, equipment, or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing devices.
- Order parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers.
- Typical pay in California
- $58,612per year
- Projected openings
- 151,500
- Projected change
- +7.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: High school diploma — 43% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 11% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 11%
- High school diploma
- 43%
- Started college, no degree
- 26%
- Two-year degree
- 12%
- Four-year degree
- 7%
- Master's degree
- 1%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.3%
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Mechanic Helper · Maintenance Aide · Maintenance Helper · Technician's Helper
- Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools.
- Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning.
- Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.
- Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools.
Show 2 more things this job involves
- Assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand or power tools.
- Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment.
- Typical pay in California
- $45,933per year
- Projected openings
- 10,870
- Projected change
- +2.2%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- Under a month
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: High school diploma — 45% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 30% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 30%
- High school diploma
- 45%
- Started college, no degree
- 15%
- Two-year degree
- 5%
- Four-year degree
- 5%
- Master's degree
- 0%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0%
Program details
This program provides online instruction, e-learning, or distance learning only.
This course will prepare you for an entry-level career in the HVAC/R industry by providing hands-on guidance for service, repair, and solutions. You will learn from in-depth materials, including service call simulations that bring concepts to life. You will be ready to pass all 17 HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Certificates, the EPA 608, and the NATE Ready to Work Certificate by course completion. You will also receive a voucher package for the HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Certificate exam and EPA 608 Certification exam.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
America`s Job Center of California-North County Coastal Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 760-666-6763
1949 Avenida Del OroSuite 106Oceanside, CA 92056about 9.2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
North County Coastal Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 619-319-WORK (9675)
3708 Ocean Ranch Blvd.North Coastal Live Well CenterOceanside, CA 92056about 10.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →