Avionics Technicians vs HVAC Technician: $82K vs $61K Median Pay

Avionics Technicians vs HVAC Technician: what changes?

Consider Avionics Technicians if you want to install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles. Consider HVAC Technician if you would rather install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves. Both list postsecondary nondegree award; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Avionics Technicians and HVAC Technician. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Avionics Technicians

National median pay (2025): $82,280
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,700

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (19,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Avionics Technicians brief

HVAC Technician

National median pay (2025): $61,010
Route into the job: Common school programs last six months to two years, followed by substantial workplace training. Some employers hire high-school graduates; ask about paid entry routes and required certifications.
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Physical work: Awkward spaces, equipment handling, outdoor temperatures, and buildings without working heating or cooling.
Schedule and hours: Emergency calls and seasonal heating or cooling peaks can bring irregular hours and overtime.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 40,600

Know before you choose

Course completion does not mean full workplace competency. Compare a school's advertised duration with an employer's training expectations.

BLS: entry routes, workplace, and schedules · Reviewed September 6, 2026. BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections.

See the full HVAC Technician brief

How the national numbers differ

HVAC Technician has the edge on annual openings

HVAC Technician is at 40,600 annual openings, compared with 1,700 annual openings for Avionics Technicians.

Avionics Technicians has the edge on median pay

Avionics Technicians is at $82,280, compared with $61,010 for HVAC Technician.

HVAC Technician has the edge on projected growth

HVAC Technician is at 10.9% projected growth, compared with 9.4% projected growth for Avionics Technicians.

61.1/ 100

Avionics Technicians

71.2/ 100

HVAC Technician

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Avionics Technicians vs HVAC Technician

Dimension	Avionics Technicians	HVAC Technician
Median pay (2025)	$82,280	$61,010
Pay percentile	74.3 percentile	49.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	9.4%	10.9%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,700	40,600
2025 employment	19,800	440,900
How you qualify	Postsecondary nondegree award	Common school programs last six months to two years, followed by substantial workplace training. Some employers hire high-school graduates; ask about paid entry routes and required certifications.
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Schedules	Varies by employer and setting; ask about shifts, overtime, on-call work, and predictable hours.	Emergency calls and seasonal heating or cooling peaks can bring irregular hours and overtime.
Physical work	Unknown: review standing, lifting, repetitive movement, and posture with a practitioner. No overall physical-demand rating is assigned.	Awkward spaces, equipment handling, outdoor temperatures, and buildings without working heating or cooling.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Avionics Technicians brief Read HVAC Technician brief

Avionics Technicians vs HVAC Technician: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Avionics Technicians

HVAC Technician

How the national numbers differ

HVAC Technician has the edge on annual openings

Avionics Technicians has the edge on median pay

HVAC Technician has the edge on projected growth

Avionics Technicians vs HVAC Technician

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