If you’re looking to become a HVAC technician in Minnesota, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we give a quick rundown of what a HVAC technician’s career path looks like, followed by HVAC schools and training programs – plus scholarships! – in Minnesota.
HVAC technicians install, maintain, and repair heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and HVAC-R technicians also work with refrigeration. HVAC technicians work in a variety of settings, including homes, office buildings, commercial buildings, schools, factories, farms, vehicles – essentially anywhere climate control systems are needed.
HVAC technicians are in high demand and that demand is expected to grow in coming years, particularly as energy-efficiency initiatives increase and HVAC systems become more complex, requiring trained technicians to perform preventative maintenance and repairs. HVAC technicians tend to interact with a lot of people (homeowners, construction foremen, building managers, etc.) and technicians with good communication and troubleshooting skills are likely to have the best job prospects.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, HVAC technician jobs are set to see 4 percent job growth in 2019-2029.
The average hourly wage for HVAC technicians in Minnesota is $26.31 (14 percent higher than the national average) with an average of $6,562 in annual overtime pay.
To become an HVAC technician, you’ll typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. While it’s possible to learn on the job through an apprenticeship, most employers prefer HVAC applicants with a certificate, diploma or Associate’s Degree. As with most trades, more technically qualified HVAC technicians with a wider variety of skills tend to earn more, which means formal HVAC training is a solid investment in your future.
Each state has its own requirements in terms of the certifications and/or licenses HVAC professionals need. For instance, in order to work with refrigerants, an EPA certification is usually required.
Keep reading for our roundup of the top HVAC technician training programs and schools in Minnesota, as well as scholarship opportunities.
Below, we’ve rounded up a collection of HVAC training programs and scholarships in Minnesota.
Combine classroom lecture with real, hands-on experience in Dunwoody College of Technology’s HVAC Installation & Residential Service program in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Learn how to read blueprints, conduct load calculation, design warm air systems, understand mechanical and fuel gas codes, and perform proper installation techniques – all in our on-campus HVAC labs.
Throughout the program, you’ll visit various manufacturing firms, allowing you to learn from experienced professionals in your field. Student clubs and organizations provide you with opportunities to attend conferences, network, and build your résumé. You’ll also receive one-on-one face time with local employers, who provide insights on career opportunities, what to expect in industry, and what types of employees they are looking for.
Students who successfully complete 10 hours of OSHA 10 safety training earn an OSHA 10 Construction Safety & Health training card. This card is recognized nation-wide.
Graduates from this program are in high demand, which means most students receive internship opportunities from HVAC firms after their first year in the program.
Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to take EPA Section 608 Certification by Esco Institute, which allows you to legally handle refrigerants, universally and R410A Certification, ensuring you can safely operate high-pressure refrigeration equipment.
HVAC Excellence, the largest provider of certification in the HVACR industry, has accredited all of Dunwoody’s HVAC programs. This certification ensures that Dunwoody’s programs meet or exceed industry standards for quality technical education.
This degree directly transfers into Dunwoody’s Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.
818 Dunwoody Boulevard Minneapolis, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day
2 Years
Prepare for a career in the HVAC installation industry—working in a wide array of fields, including residential, commercial, and industrial—with a degree in HVAC Installation & Residential Service.
The Sheet Metal & HVAC Installation program at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, Minnesota provides graduates with the entry-level skills and theoretical knowledge needed to install residential and light commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
Learn blueprint reading, load calculations, warm air systems design, mechanical and fuel gas code knowledge, installation techniques, pattern development, and fabrication skills.
HVAC Excellence, the largest provider of certification in the HVACR industry, has accredited all of Dunwoody’s HVAC programs. This certification ensures that Dunwoody’s programs meet or exceed industry standards for quality technical education.
Credits earned in the HVAC Installation certificate directly transfer into Dunwoody’s HVAC Installation & Residential Service associate’s degree.
818 Dunwoody Boulevard Minneapolis, Minnesota
Certificate
Day
1-2 Years
$20,649
The HVAC-R Systems Servicing program at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, Minnesota teaches you to maintain modern Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) systems as well as troubleshoot, diagnose, and correctly repair environmental and stand-alone cooling systems.
Through hands-one learning—taught by instructors with extensive industry experience—you will be prepared to maintain today’s complex HVAC-R systems, which consist of multiple mechanical, electrical, energy management, and electronic components. Conduct lab experimentations with industry-standard equipment, and utilize computer and lab simulations to understand topics like heating systems, cooling systems, commercial and industrial refrigeration service, HVAC control concepts and building systems operations.
Site visits and tours to manufacturing firms allow you to learn from experienced professionals in your field. And student clubs and organizations provide you with opportunities to attend conferences, network, and build your résumé.
Students who successfully complete 10 hours of OSHA 10 safety training will earn an OSHA 10 Construction Safety & Health training card. This card is recognized nation-wide.
Upon graduation, you’ll have in-depth knowledge of furnaces, boilers, chillers, and refrigerators. You will also be prepared to take the Minnesota’s Special Engineers Boiler Operator License, which allows you to legally operate boilers; EPA Section 608 Certification by Esco Institute, which allows you to legally handle refrigerants, universally; and R410A Certification, ensuring you can safely operate high-pressure refrigeration equipment.
HVAC Excellence, the largest provider of certification in the HVACR industry, has accredited all of Dunwoody’s HVAC programs. This certification ensures that Dunwoody’s programs meet or exceed industry standards for quality technical education.
This degree directly transfers into Dunwoody’s Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.
818 Dunwoody Boulevard Minneapolis, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day
2 Years
Prepare for immediate employment in a high-demand field, as you gain the skills and hands-on experience needed to service energy efficient HVAC-R systems for residential, commercial, and industrial structures.
Program placement rate: 100%
Think about the increased need for energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Consider the impact of new energy codes and technology advancements. Then you will understand why an HVAC Diploma from Hennepin Technical College prepares you for outstanding career opportunities. Learn what it takes to work on heat/cool rooftop units, high-efficiency electronically controlled forced air furnaces and hydronic boilers, chillers and large-building computerized energy management control systems, ice cube machines, walk-in coolers/freezers and display cases. With HVAC training, the possibilities are unlimited.
9000 Brooklyn Boulevard Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Diploma
Day, Evening, and Saturday
1-2 Years
With the skills you gain at HTC, you will be in demand as a trained professional in residential/commercial air conditioning, heating and refrigeration.
Think about the increased need for energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Consider the impact of new energy codes and technology advancements. Then you will understand why an HVAC Diploma from Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, Minnesota prepares you for outstanding career opportunities.
Learn what it takes to work on heat/cool rooftop units, high-efficiency electronically controlled forced air furnaces and hydronic boilers, chillers and large-building computerized energy management control systems, ice cube machines, walk-in coolers/freezers and display cases. With HVAC training, the possibilities are unlimited.
13100 Collegeview Rd Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Diploma
Day, Evening, and Saturday
1-2 Years
With the skills you gain at HTC, you will be in demand as a trained professional in residential/commercial air conditioning, heating and refrigeration.
Think about the increased need for energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Consider the impact of new energy codes and technology advancements. Then you will understand why an HVAC Degree from Hennepin Technical College prepares you for outstanding career opportunities.
Learn what it takes to work on heat/cool rooftop units, high-efficiency electronically controlled forced air furnaces and hydronic boilers, chillers and large-building computerized energy management control systems, ice cube machines, walk-in coolers/freezers and display cases. With HVAC training, the possibilities are unlimited.
9000 Brooklyn Boulevard Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day, Evening, and Saturday
2 Years
With the skills you gain at HTC, you will be in demand as a trained professional in residential/commercial air conditioning, heating and refrigeration.
Think about the increased need for energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Consider the impact of new energy codes and technology advancements. Then you will understand why an HVAC Degree from Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, Minnesota prepares you for outstanding career opportunities.
Learn what it takes to work on heat/cool rooftop units, high-efficiency electronically controlled forced air furnaces and hydronic boilers, chillers and large-building computerized energy management control systems, ice cube machines, walk-in coolers/freezers and display cases. With HVAC training, the possibilities are unlimited.
13100 Collegeview Rd Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day, Evening, and Saturday
2 Years
With the skills you gain at HTC, you will be in demand as a trained professional in residential/commercial air conditioning, heating and refrigeration.
Sheet Metal HVAC Ducts Degree from Saint Paul College in St Paul, Minnesota prepares the sheet metal worker to read blueprints, prepare layouts, and operate fabricating devices such as special hand tools, power shears, nibbler, brake, bar folder, turning machines, spot and arc welders, soldering equipment, and plasma cutting systems.
The skilled sheet metal worker gathers general information and specifications from blueprints for the fabrication and installation of ducts for heating, cooling, filtering, and humidifying air. Also, sheet metal workers fabricate and install metal roofing and siding, stainless steel equipment for homes and industry, chutes for material transfer, signs, and rain dispersal equipment.
235 Marshall Avenue Saint Paul, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day
2 Years
$11,773
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of sheet metal workers in construction is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations. Graduates of the Sheet Metal / HVAC programs may go to work for firms that fabricate sheet metal products and become skilled production, precision, or construction sheet metal workers.
Sheet Metal HVAC Ducts Diploma from Saint Paul College in St. Paul, Minnesota teaches the sheet metal worker to read blueprints, prepare layouts, and operate fabricating devices such as special hand tools, power shears, nibbler, brake, bar folder, turning machines, spot and arc welders, soldering equipment, and plasma cutting systems.
The skilled sheet metal worker gathers general information and specifications from blueprints for the fabrication and installation of ducts for heating, cooling, filtering, and humidifying air. Also, sheet metal workers fabricate and install metal roofing and siding, stainless steel equipment for homes and industry, chutes for material transfer, signs, and rain dispersal equipment.
235 Marshall Avenue Saint Paul, Minnesota
Diploma
Day
1-2 Years
$7,949
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of sheet metal workers in construction is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations. Graduates of the Sheet Metal / HVAC programs may go to work for firms that fabricate sheet metal products and become skilled production, precision, or construction sheet metal workers.
The HVAC-R Degree program at Century College in North White Bear Lake, Minnesota offers the classroom and hands-on instruction you will need to begin your career.
The program’s emphasis is on both residential and commercial HVAC-R systems. Graduating students can choose from a wide array of career opportunities in both the residential and commercial areas of the industry, working with both union and non-union companies. Students can also test for the EPA's Section 608 Clean Air Act Certification while attending the program.
See program requirements for a list of specific courses, but the program covers the following general topics:
3300 Century Avenue North White Bear Lake, MN
Associate’s Degree
Day
2 Years
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Technology – commonly known as HVAC-R – involves the design, repair, installation, and maintenance of heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration equipment. With strong demand and high wages for skilled and qualified individuals, the time to enter the HVAC-R industry has never been better.
We partner with industry professionals and maintain an Advisory Committee that helps guide the program in determining emerging technology and trends, as well as course content. These partners are from all areas of the HVAC-R industry and are also the companies and contractors that hire our graduates and provide internship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities for current students.
The HVAC-R Diploma program at Century College in North White Bear Lake, Minnesota offers the classroom and hands-on instruction you will need to begin your career.
The program’s emphasis is on both residential and commercial HVAC-R systems. Graduating students can choose from a wide array of career opportunities in both the residential and commercial areas of the industry, working with both union and non-union companies. Students can also test for the EPA's Section 608 Clean Air Act Certification while attending the program.
See program requirements for a list of specific courses, but the program covers the following general topics:
3300 Century Avenue North White Bear Lake, MN
Diploma
Day
1-2 Years
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Technology – commonly known as HVAC-R – involves the design, repair, installation, and maintenance of heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration equipment. With strong demand and high wages for skilled and qualified individuals, the time to enter the HVAC-R industry has never been better.
We partner with industry professionals and maintain an Advisory Committee that helps guide the program in determining emerging technology and trends, as well as course content. These partners are from all areas of the HVAC-R industry and are also the companies and contractors that hire our graduates and provide internship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities for current students.
If you like to troubleshoot and repair, work with your hands, and apply your knowledge and skills to solve problems, this may be your career.
The Commercial HVAC Tech Degree from St. Cloud Technical & Community College in St. Cloud, Minnesota prepares graduates for residential and commercial installation, service, and maintenance of heating/cooling and refrigeration systems, including troubleshooting electrical controls and motors.
You will be trained in the refrigeration and heating process used commonly in the industry.
Well-trained technicians are in high demand with service/installation and manufacturing companies. This program also allows you to put your skills to work in maintenance positions at hospitals, schools, supermarkets, and other public or private facilities. Positions are also available in sales for service, supply, and manufacturing companies.
Skills Acquired
1540 Northway Drive St. Cloud, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day
2 Years
If you like to troubleshoot and repair, work with your hands, and apply your knowledge and skills to solve problems, this may be your career.
The Commercial HVAC Tech Diploma from St. Cloud Technical & Community College in St. Cloud, MInnesota prepares graduates for residential and commercial installation, service, and maintenance of heating/cooling and refrigeration systems, including troubleshooting electrical controls and motors.
You will be trained in the refrigeration and heating process used commonly in the industry.
Well-trained technicians are in high demand with service/installation and manufacturing companies. This program also allows you to put your skills to work in maintenance positions at hospitals, schools, supermarkets, and other public or private facilities. Positions are also available in sales for service, supply, and manufacturing companies.
Skills Acquired:
1540 Northway Drive St. Cloud, Minnesota
Diploma
Day
1-2 Years
If you like to troubleshoot and repair, work with your hands, and apply your knowledge and skills to solve problems, this may be your career.
The Residential HVAC Tech Diploma from St. Cloud Technical & Community College in St. Cloud, Minnesota prepares graduates for residential and commercial installation, service, and maintenance of heating/cooling and refrigeration systems, including troubleshooting electrical controls and motors.
You will be trained in the refrigeration and heating process used commonly in the industry.
Well-trained technicians are in high demand with service/installation and manufacturing companies. This program also allows you to put your skills to work in maintenance positions at hospitals, schools, supermarkets, and other public or private facilities. Positions are also available in sales for service, supply, and manufacturing companies.
Skills Acquired
1540 Northway Drive St. Cloud, Minnesota
Diploma
Day
1-2 Years
Employment of HVAC/R technicians is expected to increase faster than average for all occupations through the year 2022. The goal of the Dakota County Technical College’s HVAC & Refrigeration Diploma program is to provide students with the entry level knowledge and skills required to safely install, maintain, troubleshoot and repair today's technologically advanced HVAC/R systems.
Through group discussions, lectures and hands-on laboratory experience with actual HVAC/R equipment, this program helps students become successful in this exciting and challenging industry career. Interested applicants should possess strong basic math skills and mechanical aptitude. Each student will be prepared and required to pass the EPA Section 608 refrigerant handling certification exam.
1300 145th St E Rosemount, Minnesota
Diploma
Day
1-2 Years
$7,623
HVAC/R technicians must be able to work independently, in extreme conditions, at all hours of the day. From the cold of winter to the heat and humidity of summer, in attics, basements, crawl spaces and on roof tops. Occasional heavy lifting, working off ladders or scaffolding and being comfortable with heights are also potential requirements. HVAC/R technicians should expect to be on call and work after hours and some weekends.
No matter how bad the economy gets, homeowners and businesses always need technicians trained in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R). Minneapolis College provides hands-on learning to prepare you for a high paying career in HVAC-R. Knowledgeable instructors will give you the training you need in an industry that is challenging and fun.
1501 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Associate’s Degree
Day
2 Years
People entering the HVAC-R industry are in very high demand, so pay and benefits are excellent. In Minnesota, employment opportunities are expected to increase by 16.2 percent by the year 2019, according to iseek.org. Often companies in this industry provide medical and dental insurance, retirement, paid vacation and sick time, paid advanced training and opportunities to earn overtime pay, and provide a company vehicle.
No matter how bad the economy gets, homeowners and businesses always need technicians trained in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R). Minneapolis College in Minneapolis, Minnesota provides hands-on learning to prepare you for a high paying career in HVAC-R. Knowledgeable instructors will give you the training you need in an industry that is challenging and fun.
1501 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Certificate
Day
1-2 Years
People entering the HVAC-R industry are in very high demand, so pay and benefits are excellent. In Minnesota, employment opportunities are expected to increase by 16.2 percent by the year 2019, according to iseek.org. Often companies in this industry provide medical and dental insurance, retirement, paid vacation and sick time, paid advanced training and opportunities to earn overtime pay, and provide a company vehicle.
No matter how bad the economy gets, homeowners and businesses always need technicians trained in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR).
Minneapolis College in Minneapolis, Minnesota provides hands-on learning with their HVAC & R Diploma to prepare you for a high paying career in HVAC-R. Knowledgeable instructors will give you the training you need in an industry that is challenging and fun.
1501 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Diploma
Day
1-2 Years
People entering the HVAC-R industry are in very high demand, so pay and benefits are excellent. In Minnesota, employment opportunities are expected to increase by 16.2 percent by the year 2019, according to iseek.org. Often companies in this industry provide medical and dental insurance, retirement, paid vacation and sick time, paid advanced training and opportunities to earn overtime pay, and provide a company vehicle.
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