WordReport

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

8:28 AM
• projected to increase 28 percent during the 2008-18 decade, much faster than the average for
all occupations
• Residential HVACR systems generally need replacement after 10 to 15 years; the large
number of homes built in recent years will enter this replacement timeframe by 2018.
• The increased complexity of HVACR systems, which increases the possibility that equipment
may malfunction, also will create opportunities for service technicians.
• A growing focus on improving indoor air quality and the increasing use of refrigerated
equipment by a rising number of stores and gasoline stations that sell food should also create
more jobs for heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technicians.

Pasted from <http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos192.htm>

• A growing number of retirements of highly skilled technicians are expected to generate many job openings. In
addition, employment of heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is projected to increase
faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014.
• Technicians who specialize in installation work may experience periods of unemployment when the level of new
construction activity declines, but maintenance and repair work usually remains relatively stable.

Pasted from <http://www.matc.net/hvac/hvac-career/HVAC-employment-outlook.aspx>

Forecasts
• New homes of the future will be built primarily with off-site manufactured content such as structural
panels, prefabricated components and assemblies, resulting in improved quality and in better energy
usage performance.
• By 2020, HVAC service people may use instruments that record measurements sent by factory-
installed transponders located throughout the unit to obtain operating pressures, temperatures,
contaminant levels, and refrigerant composition, all without physical connections to the equipment.
• Future applications of technological and design innovations include: interior walls designed to act as
heat exchangers; “breathing floors” which supply air under the floor to obtain a better distribution of air
throughout the room, covered by carpets which act as air filters; electrochromic windows that turn
opaque or transparent depending on thermal requirements.
• Future buildings will have wall sensors that ascertain and maintain optimum comfort levels for
individuals as the occupants move throughout the home.

http://www.doe.mass.edu/cte/frameworks/trends_ov/hvacr.pdf

Heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers—also called technicians—

install, maintain, and repair such systems. Because heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and
refrigeration systems often are referred to as HVACR systems, these workers also may be
called HVACR technicians.
Heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration systems consist of many mechanical, electrical,
and electronic components, such as motors, compressors, pumps, fans, ducts, pipes,
thermostats, and switches. In central forced air heating systems, for example, a furnace heats
air, which is then distributed through a system of metal or fiberglass ducts. Technicians
maintain, diagnose, and correct problems throughout the entire system. To do this, they
adjust system controls to recommended settings and test the performance of the system using
special tools and test equipment.

Pasted from <http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos192.htm>

Research Page 1
Images and Excel
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
8:32 AM

Pasted from <http://www.flickr.com/photos/62792282@N00/1428393335/>

Pasted from
<http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=HVAC_Service_Technician/Salary/by_City>

Research Page 2
CIS 101 RESEARCH REPORT

Prepared for
David Kampman

Prepared by
Jake Mews
HVAC

April 20, 2010

 IS A HVAC CAREER FOR YOU?

The heating and cooling industry is a continually growing and constantly changing field.

If you enjoy working with your hands and diagnosing and fixing problems then the HVAC field

may be the right field for you! With an increasing demand for comfort in the home and

workplace along with the need for more efficient and cleaner ways to provide this comfort, we

know that there will always be a need for HVAC technicians.

Exactly what is HVAC?

HVAC or HVACR stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (refrigeration).

HVAC technicians install, maintain, and repair heating and air conditioning as well as

refrigeration systems. Today’s HVAC systems are becoming very complex, and include many

parts that are necessary in order for the system to operate correctly. More and more systems are

being controlled by circuit boards and modules and adding more safety features. With all these

components, something is bound to break eventually, and when they do, it takes a skilled HVAC

technician to diagnose and fix these problems.

What is the employment outlook for HVAC?

According to the United States Department of Labor, the HVAC industry is projected to

have a 28 percent increase from 2008 to 2018. This is a faster increase than almost all other

occupations in the United States! The average life of HVAC systems in residential homes is

around ten to fifteen years, and with the increase of homes being built in the last decade, the

heating and cooling systems will most likely need to be replaced around 2018. This is very good

news for the people who are considering a career in the HVAC field.

“Going green” also seems to be getting increasingly popular, and HVAC systems are

becoming cleaner and more efficient. With the demand for high efficiency furnaces and air

Jake Mews
Page | 2
conditioners comes the demand for the technicians to install and maintain them. More people are

also looking for ways to improve the indoor air quality of their homes and businesses. Just as the

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulates the emissions on vehicles, they also regulate

the emissions on HVAC systems. With more strict regulations being set for HVAC systems, the

more the HVAC technician is going to have to know and understand which is why it is very

important that a proper education is obtained.

The future…

Throughout the next ten years, much advancement in the HVAC industry is expected to

take place. The production of off-site manufactured content for homes is expected to increase in

popularity over the next decade. Structural panels and prefabricated components and assemblies

should result in improved quality, energy usage, and performance. Walls are expected to have

sensors built into them, which will maintain the appropriate comfort level throughout the home.

The interior walls that act as heat exchangers and “breathing floors” which supply air under the

floor to obtain a better distribution of air throughout the room, covered by carpets which act as

air filters are also expected to become more popular.

All of this sounds pretty far-fetched right now, but with the technology we have anymore,

anything is possible. In fact some of those things are already being manufactured, but will be

more affordable to the average person in years to come. By 2020, HVAC technicians are

expected to able to use instruments that record measurements sent by factory installed

transponders located in the systems to obtain pressures, temperatures, contaminant levels, and

refrigerant composition without even having to connect into the system. Since the heating and

cooling industry is a continually growing and constantly changing field, the future for the HVAC

technician is a bright one.

Jake Mews
Page | 3
Works Cited
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2010,
from Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos192.htm

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Department of
Education: http://www.doe.mass.edu/cte/frameworks/trends_ov/hvacr.pdf

Jake Mews
Page | 4
Jake Mews

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

Salary Range by City

From: To: Average:
Houston, TX $26,451 $58,885 $42,668
Dallas, TX $36,849 $42,982 $39,916
Nashville, TN $42,773 $55,794 $49,284
Birmingham, AL $30,000 $72,400 $51,200
Philadelphia, PA $40,000 $65,496 $52,748
Orlando, FL $27,500 $46,000 $36,750
www.payscale.com
Highest Pay!
$60,000

$50,000
Average Salary

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$10,000

$0

City
Jake Mews

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

Salary Range by City

From: To: Average:
Houston, TX 26451 58885 =AVERAGE(B5:C5)
Dallas, TX 36849 42982 =AVERAGE(B6:C6)
Nashville, TN 42773 55794 =AVERAGE(B7:C7)
Birmingham, AL 30000 72400 =AVERAGE(B8:C8)
Philadelphia, PA 40000 65496 =AVERAGE(B9:C9)
Orlando, FL 27500 46000 =AVERAGE(B10:C10)
www.payscale.com
Highest Pay!

$60,000

$50,000
Average Salary

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$10,000

$0
Houston, TX Dallas, TX Nashville, TN Birmingham, AL Philadelphia, PA Orlando, FL
City