Georgia HVAC Training
If you have lived in the State of Georgia, you would have likely experienced the warm, muggy summers. The summer discomfort does abate as you move up north or away from the Gulf of Mexico, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that much of the state experiences a typical subtropical climate. Some sections in the northern part of the state, such as Floyd County, can also get quite cold during the winter. This means that a large number of residential and commercial areas in the state have regular heating and cooling requirements, which in turn raises the demand for professionals who can install, repair and maintain HVAC systems and equipment. Regardless if you’re an adult looking to transition into a new career, or a high-school student seeking to build a career in a hand-on technical field, the following information will help you grasp the ins and outs of HVAC education and training in the State of Georgia.
HVAC Schools in Georgia
Given the high demand for HVAC specialists, there are a large number of HVAC schools in the state. A majority of these schools provide training on standard residential and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. It’s quite possible therefore for the same school to offer a range of programs leading to a Technical Certificate of Credit, a Diploma, or an Associate Degree. The curriculum and duration of the courses may vary depending on the nature and outcome of each individual program. Regardless of the type of program or the school offering it, most HVAC training programs are in line with the HVAC licensing and certification requirements of the state.
By far, Atlanta is the most densely populated area in the state. Even so, HVAC jobs are available in various locations across the state. Consistent with this trend, there are multiple HVAC training options in almost every part of the state. In addition, most schools have different campus locations. This means that no matter which part of Georgia you live in, you will probably find at least one HVAC training institution not far from home.
Listed below are a few of the schools that offer HVAC training in the State of Georgia.
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins Campus
80 Cohen Walker Drive
Warner Robins, Georgia 31088
478-988-6800
Macon Campus
3300 Macon Tech Drive
Macon, Georgia 31206
478-757-3400
Milledgeville Campus
54 Highway 22 West
Milledgeville, Georgia 31061
478-445-2300
Central Georgia Technical College offers a 51 credit-hour Diploma program in air conditioning technology. Technical Certificate of Credit programs are also available for air conditioning electrical technicians, residential air conditioning technicians, and air conditioning technician assistants. Students can enroll into any of these programs at each of the above listed campus locations.
Tuition (per credit hour): $89
Other Required Fees: $270
Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta Campus
980 South Cobb Dr,
Marietta, GA 30060
770-528-4545
Canton Campus
1645 Bluffs Pkwy.
Canton, GA 30114
770-345-0172
http://www.chattahoocheetech.edu/
This school offers a 52 credit-hour Diploma program in Air Conditioning Technology that can be completed in 64 weeks at either the Canton or the Marietta campus. Tuition depends on the number of credit hours scheduled, which means that the more credit hours you take per semester (up to a maximum of 15 credit hours), the more cost effective the program.
Tuition (per credit hour)
In-state students: $89
Out-of-state students: $178
Other Mandatory Fees: $273
Gwinnett Technical College
5150 Sugarloaf Pkwy,
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
770-962-7580
Gwinnett Technical College offers a range of certificate, diploma and associate degree programs in air conditioning technology. It is one of the few institutes to offer a certificate program developed primarily for air conditioning electrical technicians. The curricula for each of the programs have been developed in keeping with the high standards of The Technical College System of Georgia.
As with Chattahoochee Technical College, tuition rates reduce with more number of credits. For 12 credit hours, therefore, the rate stands at:
In-state students: $1,398
Out-of-state students: $2,466
Lanier Technical College
2990 Landrum Education Dr,
Oakwood, GA 30566
770-533-7000
Lanier provides a 3-semester 51 credit-hour diploma program in air conditioning technology. The school also offers two 16 credit-hour certificate programs in residential air conditioning and gas heat system design. The tuition for attending these programs is fairly competitive for the state, particularly for in-state students. Tuition for a student taking 15 or more credit hours per semester, for instance, stands at only $1,335.
Tuition (per credit hour)
In-state students: $89
Out-of-state students: $178
Mandatory Fees: $247
North Georgia Technical College
1500 Hwy 197 North,
Clarkesville, GA 30523
706-754-7700
In addition to diploma and associate degree programs in air conditioning technology, the North Georgia Technical College offers a 12 credit-hour certificate program in advanced commercial refrigeration. Certificate programs for Air Conditioning Electrical Technicians and Air Conditioning Technician Assistants are also available.
Tuition (per credit hour)
In-state students: $89
Out-of-state students: $178
Books and Supplies: $386
Fees: $294
Oconee Fall Line Technical College
560 Pinehill Rd,
Dublin, GA 31021
1-800-200-4484
Oconee offers a 51 credit-hour diploma program in air conditioning technology along with four Technical Certificate of Credit programs. The overall tuition and fees (including books and supplies) for these programs are as follows:
Diploma Air Conditioning Technology – $5,015
TCC Air Conditioning Electrical Technician– $1,440
TCC Air Conditioning Repair Specialist– $2,175
TCC Air Conditioning Technician Assistant– $1,455
TCC Heating and Air Conditioning Installation Technician– $1,755
Southern Crescent Technical College
Griffin Campus
501 Varsity Rd
Griffin, GA 30223
770-228-7348
Flint River Campus
1533 Hwy 19 South
Thomaston, GA 30286
706-646-6148
Southern Crescent offers both an AAS degree program (66 credit hours) as well as a Diploma program (51 credit hours) in air conditioning technology. TCC’s (11 or 12 credit hours) can also be obtained in the following areas: Air Conditioning Technician Assistant, Heating and Air Conditioning Installation Technician, and Light Commercial Air Conditioning Installation Technician. All the above mentioned programs are available at both the Griffin and the Flint River campuses.
Tuition (per credit hour): $89
Other Mandatory Fees: $306
Tools and Supplies: $400 to $600 depending on the program
Southwest Georgia Technical College
Thomasville
15689 U.S. Highway 19 North,
Thomasville, GA 31792
229-225-4096
Moultrie Industrial Drive Site
361 Industrial Drive
Moultrie, GA 31768
229-891-7000
Students at SGTC can earn a 54 credit-hour Diploma in air conditioning technology in 3 semesters. Technical Certificate of Credit programs for air conditioning repair specialists (20 credit hours) and air conditioning system maintenance technicians (12 credit hours) are also available.
Tuition (per credit hour)
In-state students: $89
Out-of-state students: $178
Books and Supplies: Approx. $900
Fees: $239
A reciprocal agreement with Alabama means that Alabama students aren’t required to pay out-of-state tuition at SGTC.
Employment and Salaries for HVAC Professionals
The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes an annual document that outlines the occupational employment and wage estimates for each state. According to the May 2014 edition of this document, there were 8,270 people employed in the HVAC industry in the State of Georgia. The annual mean wages for HVAC professionals was a tad above $43,000, which translates to a mean hourly wage of nearly $23 per hour. To gain a better understanding of these wage figures, an automotive service technician or mechanic in the State of Georgia earns roughly $38,000 at about $18 per hour.
As with any other profession, HVAC salaries vary based on location. The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta area, for instance, has one of the highest annual wages in the state at nearly $47,000, which amount to about $23 per hour. The Augusta-Richmond County, too, offers just over $45,000 in mean annual wages. One could argue that the more densely populated areas offer better salaries. However, there are a few exceptions, as in the case of Gainesville, Georgia, where annual wages for HVAC professionals are in excess of $47,000 (nearly $24 per hour); with only 110 HVAC experts in the area, you might just find yourself making a beeline for Gainesville.
Other areas such as Savannah and Valdosta also offer a fairly competitive annual pay of around $42,000 (approximately $21 per hour). Albany, the Hinesville-Fort Stewart area, Chattanooga and Macon aren’t too far behind with mean annual salaries between $38,000 and $40,000 ($19 to $20 per hour).
Here’s a quick list of the approximate salaries in some of other areas:
Warner Robins and Columbus: $37,000 ($18 per hour)
Rome and Brunswick: $36,000 ($17 per hour)
Dalton and Athens-Clarke County: $33,000 ($16 per hour)
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