Are you looking for a career working with machines where you get to be self-reliant and enjoy a healthy amount of variety? You should consider becoming an AC / refrigeration mechanic! These professionals install, maintain, repair, and overhaul a variety of air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Some days they work in a residential setting dealing with homeowners and their air conditioning unit. Other days they work in a commercial setting servicing industrial refrigeration systems. If you have a mechanical mind and like keeping things cool, you should start a career in AC / refrigeration.
AC / Refrigeration Mechanic Salary
The first thing to consider about a career in AC / refrigeration is the salary. Can you make enough money in this career field? Good news: you can make a strong salary as an AC / refrigeration mechanic. In South Carolina, you can make around $37,000/year starting out, but the pay only increases. The average AC / refrigeration mechanic in South Carolina earns over $47,000/year! If you stick with the field and continue to progress, you can make over $60,000/year as an AC / refrigeration mechanic, which is nothing to shake a stick at. There may be some slight pay differences between refrigeration mechanics and refrigeration technicians, but they’re two sides of the same high value coin. If you want to start a fulfilling career making good money, refrigeration is a great option.
AC / Refrigeration Job Outlook
In South Carolina alone, there are over 5,000 available jobs in the AC / refrigeration field. That means opportunities across the state for mechanics who want a great career. This shows that this is a strong career field, but it’s only getting stronger. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 5% growth rate for this field through 2030, which means there will only be more opportunities in the future. Now is the perfect time to start a career as an AC / refrigeration mechanic.
How to Become an AC / Refrigeration Mechanic
The best part about this career isn’t the good pay or the promising job outlook; it’s how easy it is to get started. If you attend York Technical College in Rock Hill, SC, you can get your AC / Refrigeration Mechanics Diploma and be ready to work in about three semesters. That’s less than two years! If you want to go the extra distance and make it an associate’s degree, you can take a few more classes and be done in just four semesters total. Career training at a technical college is extremely affordable (if not free), so it’s a small investment for a huge return.
If you want to learn more about this fantastic career field and the training you need to get started, check out the AC / refrigeration career page on our site. This is a huge field that’s always looking for more trained workers, so you should start now! Click the button below to get in contact with the admissions office at York Tech. They will help you plan out your career training so you can start a career as a refrigeration mechanic fast!
