HVAC/R Technology
Brownson Technical School · Anaheim, CA
- Cost
- $18,895
- Length
- 40 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 81%
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
- 1,836
- Finished the program
- 87%Based on 891 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
- 81%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
- $13,000A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 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.
The job 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.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
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.
What this pays in Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $47,909 | $76,284 | $128,822 |
| Across California | $48,278 | $74,612 | $112,144 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $74,612per yearAnaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: $69,319
- Projected openings
- 37,750Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 4,110
- 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.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Students who satisfactorily complete this program will be able to diagnose, service, install and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, as well as understand the reasons for building to gain or lose heat and to help mitigate the impact on energy usage, training also includes systems utilizing direct digital controls (ddc). The overall scope of the training seeks to prepare graduates to understand the reasons why the hvac/r equipment is needed inside structures and hot to get the most performance from it, in an entry level position. This, in many ways is a different approach than has been traditionally done. It sees the building as a system and the hvac/r equipment as a sub-system of that system. As California moves toward **net zero** energy usage for new homes and businesses the focus is on bringing existing building up to energy efficient standards. This affects homes, businesses and industrial settings of all kinds, including by not limited to hospitals, offices, food storage, ice making applications, and numerous highly technical applications. Work is year round and may require indoor as well as outdoor work.
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
Anaheim Workforce ConnectionComprehensive center
Phone: 714-765-4350
201 S. Anaheim BoulevardWest Tower Suite 203Anaheim, CA 92805about 1 miles away
Hours: Mon. thru Fri 8:00 - 5:00
Has a veterans' representative
Santa Ana WORK CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 714-565-2600
801 West Civic Center Drive,Suite 200Santa Ana, CA 92701about 5.1 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
Orange County Workforce Solutions Center - BreaComprehensive center
Phone: 866-500-6587
675 Placentia AvenueSuite 330Brea, CA 92821about 6.4 miles away
Hours: Monday- Friday 9am-6pm Saturday 9am-1pm - EDD Hours-Monday -Friday 8am-5pm
Has a veterans' representative
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 →