Residential Vs. Commercial HVAC Career: Which is Right for You?
HVAC techs work for all kinds of companies, across industries, but they generally specialize in either commercial or residential HVAC. If you’re starting out on an HVAC journey, it’s a good idea to think about which path you’ll choose: residential or commercial HVAC. Both specialties require knowledge of installation, maintenance, and repairs, but there will be differences in HVAC systems, work sites, schedules, career trajectory, and the time it takes to become proficient. Check out the two choices you have and decide which might be better for you.
Residential HVAC Careers Have a Shorter Learning Curve
While you can begin entry-level work with a certificate in HVAC, your road to proficiency is likely to be shorter if you work on residential systems. Residential HVAC systems involve smaller, more standardized equipment and less complex configurations compared to commercial systems, making them easier to learn for beginners. You work on common household units like furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps, which follow similar installation and repair procedures across house types. And since home systems tend to be consistent—especially in geographical areas—you learn by doing repeatable tasks that help you build confidence and skill quickly.
Commercial HVAC Systems Are More Complex
Because the indoor environments that residential systems maintain are much smaller than commercial spaces, they’re far less complex. But if you work in commercial HVAC, you will encounter larger and more sophisticated systems, often customized to fit the specific needs of buildings like hospitals, office towers, schools, or factories. You need to know about chillers, boilers, rooftop units, zoning systems, and advanced control technologies that regulate temperature, humidity, and air quality across multiple zones. Instead of working on a single home HVAC system where you can see and access all you need, in a commercial environment, you may need to understand complex blueprints, electrical schematics, and automations to install, maintain, or troubleshoot commercial equipment. And commercial environments also demand stricter adherence to safety, building codes, and energy efficiency standards.
Commercial HVAC Jobs Offer a More Regular Schedule
Although there can be exceptions, commercial HVAC offers a more regular schedule than residential. Since you generally service businesses with set hours, you work on their hours, often a 9-to-5 schedule, Monday through Friday. But residential HVAC often requires you to be on-call for emergencies. When a family’s AC breaks down in the middle of the summer, you’re the HVAC hero who springs into action, whether it’s a Monday morning or a Saturday evening. Although your hours may be less structured, working overtime or weekends can mean extra pay. That benefit could help you weigh the pros and cons of your schedule.
Job Outlook: Commercial HVAC vs Residential HVAC
What you earn as either a commercial or residential HVAC Technician is greatly dependent on where you live and work. But because commercial HVAC systems are more complex and require more specialized skills and knowledge, jobs there tend to pay more. And while HVAC Technicians are in high demand, there’s actually more demand for residential HVAC Technicians because there are so many homes in the U.S. with aging HVAC systems.
If you’re ready to begin a career in HVAC, contact Charter College today. We offer a Certificate in HVAC/R program that can prepare you for entry-level HVAC employment. Taught by instructors with years of experience, it offers a comprehensive curriculum and lots of hands-on training. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.